The One Night Stand
by feebee17
Summary: Millie and Max give in to temptation just the once, and have to deal with the consequences in ways that will change both their lives.
1. Chapter 1

This is for Faerienutmeg, because it was my discussions with her that gave me the idea.

Warning: this first chapter is a bit graphic.

AND I don't own The Bill and if I did they would be making the most of their later time slot by having storylines like this!

**Prologue: The One Night Stand**

It had started out as just another night at the pub for the officers from Sun Hill police station. Dotted throughout the pub were members of both the Uniform and CID sections, and they interacted happily amongst the two divisions. The younger members of both teams got up to dance to the predominantly 80s music. A lot of alcohol was drunk and a lot of silliness ensued. The dance moves became more provocative, the odd chummy kiss was exchanged. All in all, the dancers were having a very good time.

DS Max Carter sat at a table, looked over at the slender form of PC Millie Brown and thought how nice she looked tonight. He wasn't used to seeing her in a dress, or anything that tight for that matter, and the way she wore her hair tonight was a real improvement on its usual restrictive styles. She was quite the little mover too, he noticed. If they didn't have such a weird history he might have considered making a move on her, because he was pretty sure that she liked him. But therein lay the problem. He feared she liked him too much. He had noticed her shyness around him, her willingness to please him, and he didn't want anyone around who would get too fond of him. Anyway, he had asked her out once, after she had been kidnapped. He did it in the guise of seeing if she wanted to talk about her ordeal, but the thought of other things eventuating was OK with him. She had shown strengths he never would have guessed she had that day, and that had made her very appealing to him. But for some reason she had turned him down.

Millie and Ben were playfully sliding up against each other when she happened to glance over at DS Carter. She was used to the disappointment of finding he was staring in another direction when she did this, but tonight she noticed he was definitely sizing her up. She pretended to turn her attention away from him, and made her dance moves even more reckless and suggestive. She was glad she had worn her black mini dress that night. She had always felt it suited her, but had never been confident putting her sexuality so on display to her work colleagues.

The night wore on and members of the team made their good byes, or left with their conquests. Millie remained dancing, and Max remained at his table drinking. Every now and again their eyes glanced furtively in the direction of each other. Pretty soon there was just the two of them left of their party. Millie started to feel a bit foolish slinking around amongst the increasingly sparse number of people on the dance floor and started to make her way over to get her coat. Max saw her move and decided it was time to make his. When she turned around from picking up her coat, he was standing close beside her.

"Hi," he said.

"Oh, hi," replied Millie, somewhat startled. "I didn't realise you were still here."

"I think it's down to us two now in terms of the Sun Hill crowd. Are you about to leave, or should I get us a drink?"

Millie wasn't sure she wanted to leave herself open to be led on and disappointed by Max again, but she was curious to see what he was up to. "Sure, that would be nice. A white wine thanks."

"Take a seat and I'll be back in a moment."

Millie watched Max work his way to the bar. Despite his occasional downright meanness to her, she couldn't deny she still found him so attractive. At least this time there would be no witnesses if he made a fool of her once again.

Max returned with their drinks and sat himself down beside her. He took a drink of his beer.

"So," he said. "Did you enjoy the evening? I was watching you and you seemed to be having a good time."

Millie was slightly surprised by his admission that he had been watching her. "Yes," she said. "I do like to dance, and Ben and Nate are such a scream once they get a few drinks into them."

"So do you always dance like that, or is it just that having a few drinks makes you less inhibited?"

"Was I uninhibited? I think I pretty much always dance like that. I kind of lose myself in it."

"Well it's something you should do more often. It's very alluring."

At this point Max turned so that his leg touched Millie's under the table. He placed his arm on the back of her chair and faced her so that she could almost feel his breath on her cheek.

Max was encouraged by the fact that Millie didn't draw her leg away from his. He continued, "Everything about you looks good tonight." Max brushed a loose lock away from her face, "I really like the way you've done your hair. And that dress is a knockout!"

"Well, thanks," said Millie. She was convinced at this stage that Max was making a pass at her, and was torn as to what to do. She was pretty sure he was only interested in her for sex, but was that such a bad thing? Her hopes of anything more ever happening between them had been well and truly dashed by their past interactions, so why shouldn't she succumb and just enjoy the encounter for what it was: something purely physical?

Millie leant against the back of her chair to allow Max a full view of what he was admiring. She raised her eyes to meet his, then threw her head back as if to challenge him to make his next move.

He did. He leant forward and kissed her gently on the mouth. They looked up at each other before their lips met again. Then again, and this time the kissing continued. Max reached across and put his hand on her hip. Millie raised her hand and ran her fingers through his hair. After a little while, they paused and looked at each other again. Millie wished just about any song other than The Cars' "You're All I've Got Tonight" was playing.

"You know," said Millie slightly breathlessly. "I live around here."

"Great," said Max.

They grabbed their coats and walked together from the pub. At one point Max halted their walking, turned to Millie and backing her up against a wall, kissed her ferociously, working his mouth along her neck then back to her mouth, while one hand worked its way under her coat. She felt herself gasp from the thrill of it, and then she stopped him.

"My place is just around the corner now," she said, luring him on. He followed and as her block of flats came into view, Millie was pleased to see no lights on. This meant her flatmate was out.

They made their way up the stairs and Millie put her key in the lock and they went inside. She flicked on a lamp. Max pushed her once again against the closest available wall and worked his hand up and down her body. He pulled himself up against her and Millie curled one leg around him and then the other. Max held her up and supported them with one hand leaning against the wall, while their mouths hungrily devoured each other's faces, necks and mouths.

Millie paused the kissing and said, "I have a flatmate, so do you want to come to my room? It's that door over there."

Max was strong and Millie was light, so rather than disturb the sensation of having her wrapped around him, he carried her towards the room. When they were inside he was somewhat relieved to find that the bed wasn't covered in fluffy toys and frilly cushions, as he had feared. They sank as one onto the bed. Max drew back, and with his knees on the floor removed first his own jacket and then hers. Then he reached behind her and unzipped her dress. The plainness of her underwear was more than made up for by the contrast of the black of her bra against the pure whiteness of her skin, and by the loveliness of what was revealed so far of her naked form: the smooth, taut skin with just the right amount of lusciousness in the curves of her breasts, hips and waist. Max hurriedly removed his own shirt and felt himself pulled towards Millie by the curling of her legs once again around him, inviting him to kiss whatever parts of her took his fancy.

When simply kissing her began to feel inadequate, he reached his hands behind her to undo her bra, while her hands moved forward to undo the buckle of his belt and then commenced undoing his jeans. Max retreated and took off first her shoes and then his own, shook off his jeans and then reached his hands up along her legs to her waist to remove her stockings and completely remove the dress that lay unzipped around her hips. Their underwear was quickly thrown to the side and Max pushed Millie back and for a while they lay wallowing in the joy of skin to skin contact, tasting and exploring each other.

After a while Millie rolled on top of Max and reached across the bed to her bedside drawer. It wasn't quite in keeping with Max's impressions of Millie and he was slightly surprised that she seemed to keep a supply of condoms at the ready. It almost embarrassed him to see her deftly rip the packet open with her teeth and proceeded to attempt to put it on him, so at that point her took the condom from her hands and took command of the proceedings. His momentary feeling of emasculation was forgotten when he looked up a Millie's naked form astride him and then savoured the anticipation as she closed her eyes and drew a deep breath as she lowered herself onto him...


	2. Chapter 2

**Almost** **A Year Later**

Stevie and Terry entered the station at Sun Hill, where they encountered PCs Leon Taylor and Mel Ryder.

"Hey, you two, guess who we saw today," said Stevie.

"Who?" asked Mel.

"Do you remember Millie Brown?"

"Millie, yeah of course. How is she? What's she doing?" asked Leon.

"I'll tell you what she's not doing," replied Terry, "and that's getting much sleep!"

"What do you mean?" asked Mel.

"So you don't know hey? She has a 2 month old baby," said Stevie, clearly enjoying being the bearer of such unexpected news.

"NO! I don't believe you!" Mel stood open-mouthed and stared at Stevie.

"Well I suppose she could have been lying," joked Terry. "After all, the kid didn't have red hair."

"Must take after its father then," said Leon. Then a questioning expression crossed his face. "Who is the father by the way? Was he there?"

Terry and Stevie looked to each other for an answer. "She didn't mention anything about a father, did she Terry? She was very much 'I'm taking time off. I'm not getting sleep" wasn't she?"

"Think about it Stevie," said Terry, who had children of his own, so knew about these things. "Two month old kid, left here nearly a year ago…"

"OH MY GOD, so the father could be someone here!" Stevie's mind began to tick away thinking of suspects.

"What are you yelling about?" Jo appeared at the stairwell with Max.

"Millie Brown," replied Stevie, "with a baby…"

"She generally seemed to be the one who always had to hold them around here," said Jo drily.

Terry filled in the blanks. "What Stevie is trying to say is that we bumped into Millie today, and she had a baby. Her own baby. Stevie is overexcited because she is trying to work out who the father is."

"Are you that familiar with Millie's love life?" asked Max. He was worried Stevie might have heard about his one night stand with Millie, but was doing a good job at appearing simply curious.

"Terry has calculated that the baby must have been conceived before she left Sun Hill. So we thought perhaps the father could be someone we know."

Luckily for the increasingly worried Max, Jo asked the question he most wanted answered. "So she didn't give you any indication who it was? She kept it a secret?"

"I wouldn't say that, but she didn't mention anyone else involved in raising the kid."

"Boy or girl?" This question suddenly had a whole new significance to Max.

"Boy. His name was Thomas," replied Stevie.

"Who are we talking about?" Inspector Smith entered the area, none too impressed to see everyone standing around gossiping.

"We just told them how we saw Millie Brown today and she has a baby," said Stevie.

"Really?" Smithy smiled. "How lovely. Now, come on you lot. I'm sure you all have things to do."

Jo headed towards the door but Max said, "Can I catch you up? There's something I need to check out." Jo nodded and Max went after Smithy.

"Smithy," Max called.

"Yes Max," Smithy stopped at the door of his office. Max indicated he preferred they go in.

"Um, you don't happen to know a way of contacting Millie Brown do you?"

A quizzical expression appeared on Smithy's face. "Why?" he asked simply.

"I just have a… need to contact her, that's all,"

The penny dropped for Smithy and he stood up and shut the door. "You, um, haven't just discovered that you might be a father have you?"

Max put on a brave front. "No I don't think so. I did sleep with her, once, a while ago, but we, we took precautions…"

"But naturally you want to make sure, right? Look, I don't want to worry you; I'll try and get you the number so you can ask her, but when Millie transferred she made it clear to me it was because of some awkwardness with a work mate here." Smithy omitted the fact that Millie had named Max as the work mate.

"So you think she thinks I could be the father?" Max chewed a nail.

"I'm not saying that, but I just thought I'd warn you. Now, I'll contact Millie's station and see what I can do. Maybe you can drop by and see me later?"

"Sure. Thanks Dale. And um if it's not to much to ask…"

"Don't worry Max, I am not going to tell a soul!"

"Thanks."

Max walked out of Smithy's office and out to the yard to meet Jo. Luckily, he and Jo had had words early, so neither of them was inclined to talking. This gave Max time to think about the situation with Millie. Could the baby be his? If so, why hadn't Millie told him. His mind drifted back to the time after their night together…

At first the return to work for them both had gone really well. Millie hadn't made any demands on him at all, and when they saw each other they acted as if nothing had ever happened. It almost made Max consider asking her if she wanted to do it again. After all, it had certainly been one of his better single night encounters. Millie had certainly seemed to know what she was doing, and she had let him leave without any fuss at all. He remembered how after they had finished, she got out of bed and sat naked by the open window to have a cigarette. He remembered first looking at her silhouette from the bed and, as he got up to stand at the window to join her, the effect of the moonlight on the whiteness of her body. She had looked so beautiful, so ethereal, that once the cigarette was over, he coaxed her back into bed with him and they made love again.

Then, out of the blue, about three weeks after their encounter, she rang him on his mobile, saying she wanted to talk. He was slightly annoyed at her intrusion, and ignored her call. She called again. And again. She emailed him saying she wanted to talk. Then she texted him. In the end he answered his phone and had told her that he had made it clear what he wanted, and she had agreed to it. He expected her to keep her end of the deal. Then he didn't hear from her or see her again and a little while later he heard that she had been transferred to another station. Problem solved.

So now he couldn't help but let this thought cross his mind: what if she had been trying to tell him she was pregnant with his baby? What if she hadn't turned from rational casual sex partner to Fatal Attraction style stalker (to Max's mind) in a couple of weeks? What if she was telling him because she believed it was his right to know?

It seemed to take forever before he and Jo were able to return to the station. Jo made her way up to CID while Max went in search of Smithy. Jo wandered in and made her way up to Stevie and Terry.

"You know what," she said in a hushed tone to the two of them. "I think that Max might be the father of Millie's baby. After we were all talking about Millie he ran off straight away to have a word to Smithy. Now if anyone knows about Millie being pregnant, it would be Smithy. Secondly, all the time we were out together just now, he just sat there, deep in thought. Almost like he was in shock or something."

Terry looked around to see who else might hear them, then said quietly, "That wouldn't surprise me at all, I mean she always seemed to like him didn't she? It would explain her sudden departure from Sun Hill too."

"You mean if Max reacted badly to the news?" said Stevie. "I could just imagine him sleeping with her and rejecting her afterwards. He seems like the type."

"I think today was the first Max heard of the baby though, from his reaction," said Jo. "He just said nothing, which is very unlike him. I know we fought today, but he doesn't usually give you the silent treatment."

"Look," said Terry, "I know the guy can be a prick, but I say we should go easy on him on this one. Parenthood can be a mind blowing experience, especially when you miss out on the nine month lead up."

"I agree, and let's just keep it between ourselves eh?" said Jo.

Max entered the room and the three of them broke up and went about their business. Max's preoccupation was palpable. He sat at his desk for a little while, tapping his pen, and then got up clutching a piece of paper, went into one of the briefing rooms and shut the door.

Eyebrows were raised between Terry, Stevie and Jo, but no one said anything.

Alone in the briefing room Max dialed the number Smithy had given him. He sat impatiently listening to it ring. Eventually it was answered.

"Hello." The female voice sounded sleepy and slightly angry, like someone who had been disturbed from a sleep.

"Millie?" Max said, not altogether convinced it was her.

"Yes. Who's this?" The anger in the voice increased slightly.

"Millie, it's Max Carter."

There was momentary silence at the other end of the phone. The Millie sighed and said in an empty voice, "Max. I've kind of been expecting you to call. I knew when I saw Terry and Stevie word would get around Sun Hill."

"So then," continued Max. "Is there, um, something you want to tell me?"

"Eleven months ago there was. You wouldn't listen."

"Look Millie, I know I did the wrong thing. I know I've made things difficult for you. But I'm here now waiting for you to tell me. Or better still, can I come and see you?"

Max heard the phone move and what sounded like a muffled sob. He didn't know what to say. Eventually Millie spoke.

"Yes I suppose that would be best. When? Not today, I'm too tired. How about tomorrow?"

"Whenever suits you Millie. Do you still live in the same flat?"

"No, I had to move when… everything happened."

"Well give me the address and I'll come by tomorrow. Afternoon OK?"

"Yes, about three should be fine."

"And Millie, before I go, I have to ask. Is…the baby, is it mine?"

"Put it this way, the month he was conceived, you're the only person I slept with."

"I see. But…" Max was silenced by what sounded very much like a baby starting to cry at the other end of the phone.

"Max, I've got to go. We'll talk tomorrow."

"OK, bye."

Millie had hung up before he'd even got the second word out. The sound of crying still rang in his ears. That was his son and that was the closest he had ever come to being in contact with him, and he had no one to blame for that fact but himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Millie's Story**

Sleeping with Max had been just about as good as loveless sex could be. Millie was so proud of herself for just letting the physical sensations of it overtake her and giving no thought to the more romantic feelings she had had for Max in the past. After they had made love a second time she lay a while in his arms before he announced that it was time for him to leave, and she sat up in bed and watched him collect his clothes from the floor and dress. And then he left with a smile but no kiss good bye, but she didn't mind, she had got all she had expected out of him tonight. When she heard the front door shut behind him she took her diary out from her beside table and had simply written two words to describe the evening: "Fucked Max".

There had been no issues when they had seen each other back at work. Millie had no intention or desire to approach him about it and he seemed the same as ever – if slightly less patronising – with her. She felt a sense of pride that she had conquered her crush on him and no longer fumbled in his presence or faltered under his gaze. No one at work probably had any idea what had passed between them. If anyone noticed a change in her attitude, they most likely would have put it down to a natural progression from her rejecting his offer of a drink the night she was kidnapped. It seemed to others that Max had lost his attractiveness to her then, and it made it easier for everyone to work with them together.

A few weeks after their liaison, however, Millie's behaviour began to change. She came to work looking tired and edgy. She almost seemed to snap at people when they asked her what was wrong. No one thought too much of it, because everybody has their moods. But secretly Millie felt alone and very frightened. She had realised her period was a week late. This simply never happened. She tried to ignore it and reasoned that sometimes hormones just do strange things.

She couldn't be pregnant, she told herself. She and Max had used condoms, and they'd never failed her before. She refused to do a pregnancy test because she just didn't believe it would show anything. Then two weeks passed and her period still didn't come. She realised she just wasn't feeling normal. When she was out with the rest of Uniform one night, the smell of salami on the pizza was so overbearing she had to make her excuses and go home early. She knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. She stopped off on the way home at a late night chemist and bought a pregnancy test kit. She got home and used the test. Then she waited.

Five minutes later she checked the test, and was promptly sick in her bathroom sink. There was that extra little line, the one that said the test was positive. She told herself the test must be wrong and took herself to bed. After a sleepless night she called in sick and made an appointment with her doctor. The doctor did another urine test and took some blood. The urine test came back positive. The doctor said that they would have to wait for the blood tests, but he felt it was safe enough to congratulate her as it was. Pregnancy tests rarely give a false positive he said, so two positive tests was a very good indicator.

Millie went home and shut herself in her room. She wanted to have a cigarette and get drunk, but she knew she couldn't now. She felt her body was no longer her own. She loved children and wanted to have her own someday, but not like this. Not with someone who didn't even respect her, and had only slept with her because she wore a certain dress and was available at the time.

She muffled her sobs in her pillow when it occurred to her that she should probably break the news to Max. She knew he'd be upset. He'd probably accuse her of having done it deliberately. But still, he was going to be a father and he had a right to know. She decided she'd wait at least until the blood test came back before she'd call him. After all, what would happen if it were a false alarm? He would be so angry at her, and all she would have achieved was to have lost the renewed respect she had for herself in relation to him. But of course that test came back positive too. She forced herself to call his mobile.

Max never answered her calls, so she took to texting. Then finally he answered and had told her in no uncertain terms that he didn't want her calling again, and that basically she'd gone back on the deal they had. After that she didn't bother. She spoke to Smithy and asked him if she could get a transfer as soon as possible. Smithy recognised her desperation and asked why. She said it was because she could no longer work with a particular colleague, but couldn't go into detail. When Smithy asked if she meant Max, she didn't try to conceal the fact he was correct. Smithy tactfully didn't force the issue. He promised he'd do what he could and thankfully he was able to organise something pretty quickly. He suggested she have a farewell do, and she declined, begging him not to say anything to anyone.

Smithy kept it as secret as he could, and soon Millie just disappeared from Sun Hill with no explanation offered, other than she'd been transferred. She was missed of course. Max just breathed a sigh of relief and got on with living according to his usual pattern. He had liked Millie, and on some level he was sorry not to see her anymore, but things were just simpler without her.

Meanwhile Millie's life was changing completely. She had to make her new station aware of her condition straight away, so her duties were lighter. She worked as long as she could, well into the third trimester of her pregnancy. She found herself spending her savings on things for the baby, and eventually she had to move to a smaller place in a more affordable neighbourhood. Anyway, her flatmate didn't want to share with a baby.

When she told her family about her pregnancy, her mother said "That's nice. Don't expect me to babysit." She was enjoying her empty nest and widowhood far too much to desire the responsibilities of having a grandchild. Her sister was rapt and promised to return from Germany for the birth. Millie wished she had friends with children, but the only friends who did didn't live anywhere near by. She went to birth classes and watched the couples there excitedly planning things together and felt very alone.

Millie's sister Annie had arrived home just about the same time Millie had finished work, and this was the happiest time of Millie's whole year. They had such fun buying things for the baby, setting up his nursery and feeling the baby moving about in Millie's tummy. They sang to it, and told it stories. When Millie had trouble sleeping, Annie would lie beside her and rub her back until the flat reverberated with Millie's snores. Millie sometimes thought what a thrill it would be to share all these things with the baby's father, but she found she never put Max in that role in her head. She felt for her sake she'd done the right thing not persisting in trying to tell him. She did however, chastise Annie when she started telling the baby stories about a big, ugly ogre called Max.

When the time came for the baby to be born, Millie insisted on a drug free birth. This was the time she wished Max were there, because she thought he would be the perfect person for her to pinch or kick when each contraction came. Thomas was a nine pound baby, so giving birth to him was no easy task! But when they lay her baby on her chest she instantly fell in love with him, despite the fact that her very first thought on seeing him was "Oh my God, he's the image of Max!".

Millie and Annie had had such fun looking after Thomas the first two weeks of his life. Then Annie had to leave and Millie was left alone with him. He wasn't the type of baby that settled easily for a nap, and just when Millie thought he'd nodded off and she could relax, his cry would blare out from the nursery, demanding her attention. Millie grew so tired it was like she was living in a daze. She took Thomas for walks in his pram to get him to sleep, but most of the time she felt she was trapped in the house with him.

And now here was Max, wanting to visit her, wanting to talk about things, whatever that meant. But Millie didn't dwell too long on this. Thomas had gone off to sleep easily that night, so Millie switched off her phone and fell into a deep sleep which would last until the usual rude awakenings of Thomas's scream for his late night feed or the uncomfortable sensation of leaking breast milk. It would be Max's turn for a sleepless night tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

MissLala, you will have to let me know if they have different names or activities for babies in Britain. Very happy my little one isn't this small and fragile anymore!

Faerienutmeg, I meant to say in the last chapter, I used the name you gave Millie's sister in this story, as I can't think of her as anything other than Annie now!

**The Visit**

When 3pm finally came around Max nervously made his way to the address Millie had given him. He knocked on the door and waited. Millie opened the door. She looked a little more rounded than she had the last time he saw her, but he felt it suited her. Max was a little shocked to see how tired she looked and that she obviously hadn't taken as much care with her appearance as she had in the past. Her hair was tied in a loose pony tail and she had obviously dressed for comfort rather than style.

"Come in," she said without raising her eyes to look at him.

Max walked through the door and looked straight away for a baby, but there wasn't one in view. "Hi," he said, "where's um...?"

"Asleep," Millie didn't wait for the end of the question. She was under no illusion that Max had come to see her.

"So, how is motherhood?" asked Max nervously.

"Hard work," said Millie without the slightest hint of a smile.

"Oh," said Max hesitantly. "I must say you do look tired. But apart from that, you're looking well. You're blooming, as they say."

Millie made a vague smile, "Thanks," she said, and remembering her manners added, "Come and sit down. Would you like a cup of something?"

"Coffee would be nice. Thanks." Max sat and waited for Millie to return. He looked around the flat, hoping she had a picture of his son someone on display. He couldn't see one. He was struck by the contrast between this place and Millie's old flat. She was obviously struggling a bit in her new circumstances.

Millie returned with the coffees. She curled her feet up under her and cradled her cup in her hand. She had decided she would let Max take the lead here. She still held a lot of resentment about him refusing to speak to her when she felt she really needed him.

Max didn't quite know what to say, but the silence was driving him crazy. "So, you and I, um, we have a son."

"I know I do, and considering both the timing and his resemblance to you, I am pretty confident you do too. Of course, you can always check that if you feel the need."

Max nodded. He had thought of getting a paternity test done, but hearing Millie say that made him feel slightly ashamed. Luckily he thought of a way to move the conversation away from controversy. "And you and he are both well? No problems with, ah, the birth or anything?" Then something occurred to him. "Did you have someone with you for the birth? Your mother perhaps?"

"My mother's not exactly fond of children. But yes, my sister was there with me. There were no complications. He was a big baby though."

"So was I, apparently," Max dared to give a slight smile. "And is your sister still around? Does she help you? Older sister is she?"

"Younger. And no she's not here, she just came home for the birth. She lives overseas."

"Who takes over when you need a break then?"

"I don't take breaks." Millie sounded very much on the edge of crying. But she had something we wanted to get said, so she continued. "Look Max, I hope you realise, I didn't mean to get pregnant. I don't know how it happened. I thought what we did was safe…"

"So did I. Look, I have to admit a part of me at first wondered if it was deliberate, but when I thought about it you were the one insisting on using condoms and not taking risks. Maybe one of them was faulty or something."

"Who knows? I have no idea how I got here."

Max could see Millie was getting upset and didn't know quite what to say. Then it dawned on him he should apologise for not being there when she needed him.

"Millie, I'm sorry I didn't take your calls back then. It seems every interaction we have starts with me prejudging you, then having to apologise for it. I should have given you the opportunity to speak."

Millie felt it was time to get some things off her chest. "Yeah well you were rude, and it hurt me a lot. You have no idea how pleased I was with how things went after we slept together. And then I had to do exactly what I didn't want to do, and hound you. As if I didn't feel like I'd humiliated myself enough, with you constantly snubbing and rebuking me, and saying I wasn't smart! But I didn't know what else to do. I thought you had a right to know. But eventually I just had to give up."

"I know Millie." Max really didn't know what else he could say.

At this point the sound of snuffling, whimpering, and then full-blown crying came over the monitor. Millie sighed.

"It's about time for him to be fed. I'll just go get him."

Max watched as Millie left the room. He noticed that his hand was shaking as he held the cup. He had thought the time passed slowly from his phone call to Millie to this visit, but waiting for Millie now seemed to him an eternity.

Millie soon appeared, smiling, which surprised Max, as he had expected her hostility to continue. In fact, she was just so happy to be able to share her wonderful baby with someone else who could potentially become as besotted with him as she was. All Max could see of him so far was the occasional movement in the bundle of blanket he presumed contained his son.

"Here," said Millie, walking up beside Max. "Do you want to hold him?"

The profundity of the moment for Max was so great that he almost wanted to say no. Instead he turned and held out his arms. It wasn't the first time he had held a baby, as he had nephews and nieces and even a godchild. But to him the moment held almost as much significance as a birth.

Millie placed the bundle in his arms, and Max moved the blanket further back to get a clearer view of his face. "I called him Thomas," said Millie quietly, not wanting to intrude too much on Max's moment.

Max said nothing. He just gazed down at Thomas's face. Yes, he was a chip off the old block all right, thought Max, though he had Millie's finer nose.

"Hi Thomas," said Max beaming down at him.

Thomas looked blinkingly up at him and smiled.

Max almost had to fight back tears. He looked up at Millie and said, "Doesn't he have a great smile?"

Millie's face screwed up, and she sank back onto the couch. Tears welled from her eyes. "I don't know," she sobbed. "He's never smiled at me." Here she threw her head down on the couch and sobbed uncontrollably.

Millie's crying set Thomas off as well. Max didn't quite know what to do, whom he should be comforting or even how to comfort either of them. He couldn't go put a reassuring hand on Millie's shoulder because he was holding the baby, and he didn't think it was right to just leave a baby on the couch. In the end he carried Thomas over to his mother's side and sat down beside her.

"Millie, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I thought he did it all the time." He managed to hold Thomas with one arm and with the other hand rub Millie's back in an attempt to comfort her.

Millie raised her head. "I'm sorry, it's just been, so, so hard, and I'm so tired all the time! I never would have believed that hormones could affect your mood so much, but so many feelings I have just make no sense! Look, do you mind if you hand him back to me for a while? I have to feed him."

Max lovingly stroked Thomas's cheek and handed him to his mother. Max was a bit unsettled as Millie proceeded to unbutton her top to breastfeed. He got up and walked slightly away, turning his back on the scene.

"Max," Millie said. "There's no need to be coy. For one thing, it's completely natural, and for another I'm not showing anything you haven't seen before. In fact, I seem to remember you doing exactly what he's doing right now!"

Max was amused by her candor. "I was more thinking of how you felt about it actually. I didn't want to gawk. But to be perfectly honest this Madonna and child scene is pretty special."

He sat himself down beside her and watched his son feed. After a little while he said, "I just wish you hadn't named him after someone I killed."

Millie was slightly annoyed by this, but she had to admit she had completely forgotten this fact when she chose the name. She replied, "Actually, I named him after my late father, and I wasn't aware you were responsible for his passing."

Max was taken aback. "Sorry Millie, I had no idea. Really, it's a good choice."

Millie looked up at him again. "I didn't give him a second name though, thinking that maybe one day, if you ever found out, you might want to think of one."

Max was clearly chuffed by this. "I don't know what to say! Um, can I have some time to think about it? It's not an on the spot decision."

"Of course." Millie looked down at light brown head of her contented babe and lovingly stroked it.

Max sat in silence and watched until Millie finished feeding Thomas. She moved the baby onto her shoulder for him to digest his feed and then motioned to Max to see if he wanted another hold. Max held him upright as Millie suggested, and Thomas happily kicked his feet in his father's arms.

Thomas's presence seemed to put both of them at ease, so Max decided now would probably be the best time to work a few things out between them.

"So any ideas where we go from here?" he asked.

Millie was pleased he was the one to raise the subject. "I'm not sure what sort of role you want to play in Thomas's life. Are you just here to check him out or do you want him to know you as his father?"

"Of course I want him to know me!" Max was slightly indignant at Millie's question. "I want him to know me, and I want to be involved in raising him, both time-wise and financially."

"As long as you don't ever try to take him from me, I'm happy with that," replied Millie, with a ferocity that Max did not expect. He took it as being the result of some protective mother instinct.

"Millie, you are and always will be his mother. I don't want to come between you. How do you feel about my family seeing him? I'd like him to know his grandparents and aunties."

"That's fine by me. They might do more for him in terms of family than mine can."

"Can I get my sister to ring you? She has a son who's two and a half. It would be nice for Thomas to get to know him."

"Sure, give her my number. It's Thomas's tummy time now. Do you mind..." Millie held out her arms and took the baby from Max. She placed him on a mat on the floor and put a toy in front of him. He clumsily reached to touch it.

Max took out his phone and took a photo of Thomas on the mat. On seeing this, Millie jumped up from her seat and grabbed a photo album from the shelf. She said down again beside Max.

"I'm not sure if you want to see this..."

"No graphic birth pictures are there? You're not going to show me a video of the birth or anything are you?"

"Err, no. Only a bloody new born. Maybe I'll just select a few photos for you then that you can keep." She put the book to the side.

"You know, I do want to look at them some time, but do you mind if for the moment I watch the real thing?"

"Go ahead. I'll just lie down on the couch and have a bit of a rest. Just roll him onto his back soon, or pick him up and hold him again. Remember he's not that strong yet."

Max didn't want to be left alone with Thomas, but he knew Millie needed the rest. In a matter of minutes Millie was asleep on the couch. Max got down on the floor with Thomas, rattled some toys at him, then decided to pick him up. He carried Thomas over to window and pointed a few things out to him, hoping to raise another smile from him. Thomas seemed to get a bit suspicious of his intentions and started kicking and fussing a bit. Max patted him on the back in an attempt to keep him quiet and let Millie get a a little more sleep. When he realised that there was a moist feel to Thomas's little cloth-nappied bottom, he decided that perhaps it was time to let Thomas disturb his mother if he wanted.

Millie opened a bleary eye and looked at Max and Thomas.

"I think he's a bit wet," said Max.

As much as the thought of getting Max to change a nappy and possibly getting a surprise stream of urine in his face appealed to Millie, she sighed and got up and took Thomas from Max. It was only his first day of fatherhood, after all!

"I suppose I should get back to work now." said Max, tickling Thomas under his chin as he snuggled into his mother's arms.

"Oh, I didn't realise you were working today. What did you tell them?"

"I basically told Neil Manson the whole story - that is I told him we had a son, not about, you know..."

"I reckon he might be able to figure out about the 'you know' from the fact we have son anyway. So, are you...happy about Thomas?"

"It's all a bit strange, but yeah, I think so. You?"

"Oh yes. I love him to pieces. Are you going to mention this to people at work?"

"If you don't mind I guess I will. It's not fair on him to be kept a secret. Anyway, it's my mother I'm worried about telling."

"I hope Thomas doesn't have that attitude to me when he grows up!"

"You're not the type to carry on and beat your breast. She is. Well I better go. Call me any time you like, and I'll be in touch anyway."

He put an arm around his son, then extended the hug to include Millie, whom he also kissed tenderly on the forehead.

"See you later then."

A slightly bewildered Millie raised her hand to wave good bye. She and Thomas stood at the door and watched Max start to walk away.

He turned around before he went down the stairs and said, "Oh, and Millie. Thanks for having my baby."

Millie smiled and waved again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Phone Calls and Introductions**

Max drove back to Sun Hill reliving the day's visit in his head. All things considered, he thought it had gone very well. After seeing, meeting and holding him, Max had no doubt at all that Thomas was his son. When he thought about the moment he first laid eyes on him, he started to choke up. He wanted to take out his phone and look at the pictures he had taken but made himself concentrate instead on driving. Selfish recklessness was no longer an option for him. He was a father.

As for what he thought about Millie today, well, she had had her moments. He was worried about her, and remembered he had mentioned getting his sister to call. Magdalena would be a much better judge of what was going on than he was, and Millie wasn't likely to be in anyway hostile to her either. He couldn't forgive himself for not taking those calls when Millie first got pregnant. He had missed out on all that time of Thomas's life, and he felt guilty not only for that but for the effect this must have had on Millie's life. Millie had done her best, but that flat was such a step down from her last place. She must have been really struggling, while he Max suddenly felt he had been frittering his money away.

Max dialled his sister and put his phone on speaker.

"Hello."

"Mag, it's me."

"Maxie, how are you?"

"I'm OK but more about that in a minute. You going to mum's on Sunday?"

"As always."

"Good, because I think I might be in need of moral support."

"This sounds interesting...so tell me..."

"Well… you're an auntie."

"This I know, but I think you're telling me you've knocked someone up!"

"Yeah, a while ago now. I have just discovered I have a 2 month old son."

"I am very happy for myself, but am I happy for you?"

"I think so. It's all a bit of a shock."

"So who's the poor girl you loved and left then?"

"Someone I used to work with. We spent one night together after going to the pub. Her name is Millie."

"Ah yes, I remember you mentioning her. I thought you'd asked her out and she turned you down? Anyway, explain to me why you didn't take precautions!"

"We thought we had. Obviously something went wrong."

"You don't think she deliberately..."

"No I don't. Let's talk more about the details later. In the meantime I have a favour to ask."

"Go on."

"I saw Millie and Thomas..."

"Thomas? That's nice."

"...today and it seems to me she's pretty isolated. Can you ring her and arrange to visit her or something? Maybe with the kids? I don't think her family are much use to her and I have to tread a bit carefully, if you know what I mean."

"I do, and of course I will. I'm dying to meet my nephew and to get a look at this Millie too."

"I think you'll get on well with her. She can be quite funny, so I've heard. She never really let herself go with me of course."

"For one night she apparently did."

"Very funny. Anyway, let me know how you go."

"You're sending me in as a spy eh? I'm only pretending to make friends, is that right?"

"Don't Mag. I was a bit worried today. Thomas smiled at me, and it made her burst into tears because he'd never smiled at her."

Mag laughed, "The little bastard! That's exactly how it happens! You devote all this time to them, do everything for them, and then someone who makes no effort at all gets all the glory! I don't blame her for crying! Sorry for laughing, Maxie. I know it must all be a shock to your system. Have you told Johanna yet? We are going to have such fun with you! Our spoilt little brother getting slapped in the face by reality! Ha!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going now. Only you know and I'd like to leave it like that til Sunday."

"Whatever you say. It's your bombshell after all. Speak to you later, Daddy."

"Bye."

It occurred to Max that perhaps he could ring Millie tomorrow and see if she wanted to come to the family lunch on Sunday - after he'd broken the news to his mother of course. He knew his mum would want to get her hands on Thomas as soon as possible after she discovered his existence. Max pictured the scene, with his sisters and their families all there, his dad out in the shed avoiding everyone but waiting for Max to come out for their usual Man to Man chat away from the noisy chatter of all the women. His mum in the kitchen, slapping wrong doers across the back of the head, grabbing her grandchildren's cheeks in her hands and kissing them, asking him when he was going to settle down and reminding him that it was up to him to carry on the family name ("As if there were a shortage of Carters in the world" Mag would whisper to him).

Then he placed Millie and Thomas in the midst of the scene. He saw them sitting on the garden seat, roses blooming on the trellis, Millie smiling at Thomas in her arms with that serene expression Millie had, or used to have when she wasn't so sleep deprived (or anywhere near him). Then he saw himself sitting with them, talking to Thomas, his arm around Millie, Millie looking at him, him looking into her eyes and them smiling contentedly at each other. He was thrown out of his reverie by the remembrance of the reality of the situation: that he and Millie only had a relationship based on co-parenting a child, and neither of them were in that situation by choice. There was nothing beyond civility between them, and even that was slightly tenuous at the moment. And yet the picture of him and Millie in the garden seemed very natural and appealing.

His daydreaming ended as he drove into Sun Hill station. When he got to CID, Neil asked him how he had got on. Max loudly asked Neil if he wanted to see a photo of his son, and Neil and various other members of the team within earshot came to look over his shoulder.

"He's the image of you," Neil said on seeing the photo.

"Yes, but he's got Millie's nose," responded Max. And from then on the facts of Thomas's parentage were common knowledge.

Magdalena sighed and rolled her eyes when she got off the phone from Max. She loved her little brother dearly, but she knew that he was selfish and spoilt and had probably treated this Millie very badly. She couldn't help but looking forward to Sunday to see the expression on her mother's face when Max told her about the baby, or the expression on Max's face either, come to think of it. She knew his would be one of extreme fear!

In the meantime, she wanted to see what she could do to help Millie. Mag knew all too well how isolating motherhood could be - and she had had a husband and an overbearing mother to support her! Why had Millie waited so long to tell Max, she wondered? She shook her head, because she was sure this was in some way Max's fault, not Millie's. She wondered how he turned out to be so self-centred and conceited. Of course, he had been the youngest and the only boy, his mother's favourite without a doubt, and she and her sister had always had to look after him. Really, she couldn't help but blame herself. Cleaning up his messes had been a lifelong occupation for her.

Was it too soon to ring? She got the impression Max had not long ago left Millie's. But, there's no time like the present, she thought, and dialled the number.

"Hello." The voice that answered sounded quite bright.

"Hi, is that Millie?"

"Yes it is."

"Millie, this is Magdalena, I'm Max's sister."

"Hi. Max mentioned you might ring."

"He told me about Thomas, congratulations!"

"Thank you. Did Max tell you he's the image of him?"

"No! Is he? Poor child. Oh sorry, I didn't mean that they way it sounded."

"Don't worry, he's beautiful anyway."

Mag laughed. "I'm sure he is, and he won't be raised by our mother, so there's every chance he'll have a better personality too."

Here Millie laughed.

Mag continued, "So Millie, what would you say to a couple of visitors in the next couple of days?"

"If you mean you and your children, I would say yes, I'd like that."

"Is tomorrow too soon?"

"That should be fine."

"What say I come over with lunch, about midday?"

"Great."

"See you then."

"I'm looking forward to it."

As they hung up the phone, both Mag and Millie were thinking, "She sounds nice".

The next day at the appointed time Magdalena and the two youngest of her four children arrived at Millie's place. Magdalena was a sonsy, friendly looking woman in her late thirties and Millie warmed to her immediately. The first thing she did was engulf Millie in a big maternal hug.

"How are you coping, Luv?" Mag asked Millie, as her two youngsters toddled into the flat ahead of her.

"OK I guess. It's certainly a complete lifestyle change. I used to jog every morning, now look at me!" Millie indicated her very insignificant baby belly.

"Don't talk to me about weight! You're as skinny as anything. Mum will be wanting to fatten you up when she meets you. So, where's my new nephew?"

Millie took her in to see Thomas, who was lying in his bouncer.

"Oh my goodness, it's my little brother all over again! I brought along some family pictures for you to compare."

"Thanks. I must say I feel a bit weird intruding into Max's family life like this."

"You're part of the family now Millie."

"No, Thomas is. Max and I only have a relationship because we're dealing with the consequences of a...mistake."

"Look at him, darling, how can the creation of him be a mistake? As to you and Max, well, I got the impression from Max that you had feelings for him."

Millie rolled her eyes. She felt she had to set the record straight if she was going to have to deal with Max's family from now on. "God, I'm never going to live that one down am I? To be perfect honest, once I slept with Max I felt like I'd got what I wanted from him. I can't believe Max made you think I was in love with him! That was all so long ago! But of course it's because of that attitude that he didn't find out about Thomas until now. He refused to answer the calls I made to tell him I was pregnant because he thought I was stalking him. So I gave up after a while."

"Ha! I knew it had to be Max's own fault that he didn't know! That sounds just like my arrogant brother though. I'm sorry we raised him so badly!"

"He's a grown up, it's his responsibility now," said Millie.

Millie and Mag and their children spent a pleasant afternoon together until it was time for Mag to leave.

"Millie, are you busy on Sunday? I have a mind to send Max over to collect you to join our family lunch."

"Um, I can be free if you like, but sorry Mag, I really feel it's up to Max to ask me, not you. And don't you go pressuring him either!"

"Fine Luv. Ring me or I'll call you and we'll do this again. We can make it a regular thing."

When Magdalena got home she rang her irresponsible little brother.

"So, how did it go? Were you pleased with Thomas? How was he?"

"Gorgeous, happy, well cared for and healthy."

"And what did you think of Millie?"

"Put it this way," Mag replied. "You're my baby brother and I love you, but if it ever came down to me having to choose between you or her, you'd be dumped!"

Max chuckled, "Mag! Your own flesh and blood! What happened to unconditional love?"

Mag responded with sage and significant advice: "Sometimes love has to be earned," she said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Max's Family**

Sunday at 11am Max found himself walking into the front garden of his parents' house. He stepped back to avoid a collision with two of his nephews, who had jumped out of the bushes with their toy guns playing some sort of war game. Max wished they wouldn't play with those guns, because they were far too realistic and his first glimpse of them sticking out of the leaves almost made him leap in to the bushes in an attempt to disarm whoever it was that was threatening his family. Instead he patted the head of one of his nephews as it thumped into his hip, and said "Hey, watch it!" as the cries of "Hi Uncle Max" trailed off into the garden.

The first stationary people he encountered were his two sisters, Magdalena and Johanna, who were standing under a tree deep in conversation. They looked up to see Max approaching, and Mag pounced on him and gave him a big hug and kiss.

"Here he is, the man of the moment. Ready to drop your bombshell?" she said.

"Eh, what's this? What are you two not telling me?" The suggestion of scandal involving Max made Johanna's face light up.

"Our little brother," said Mag, who was not going to let her chance to break the news slip by, "has become a father. He has a two month old boy. His name is…"

"Hey, this is my news remember. His name is Thomas," Max really didn't mind Mag telling the story, but he liked teasing her just as much as she like teasing him.

He was suddenly being smothered by a hug from his older sister.

"Is it congratulations Maxie? I must say, you seem happy about it. Look at him! He's pleased as punch!" She gave him another squeeze, and then paused as she realised the big question still needed to be asked. "Does Mum know?"

Mag took over the story again. "No, that's the best part. You and I get to watch her giving Max a right bollocking!"

Johanna rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "And to think I nearly didn't come today because I thought it would be boring! So, having produced a son are you just as suddenly going to produce a wife?"

Max didn't even bother to talk from this point. It was clear Mag had taken over. "No she was a one night stand, but I met her the other day and she's lovely – a ginger-haired, very pretty little thing, and I've made it clear to Maxie that if they fight, we are keeping her and getting rid of him."

"Of course," replied Johanna, who was addressing Mag but focusing her eyes on Max. "So how come we are only hearing about this now?"

"Well, Max himself only found out recently. It seems our caveman little brother responded to Millie's attempt to tell him of his impending paternity with the words, "Quit hassling me chick, ain't no woman gonna tie me down" – is that right Maxie?"

"Verbatim," he replied.

"So in the end poor Millie just gave up and went away and had the baby by herself and has since led a life on the breadline while our brother has been spending his money on fast cars and floozies."

At the word 'floozies', Max's mother appeared from around the corner of the house. She went up to her son and kissed him, then looked at her three children and realised something was going on.

"Max," she said, becoming concerned. "Is something wrong?"

His two sisters leant back against the tree, folded their arms and waited with smiles like Cheshire Cats.

Max spoke hesitantly, "No Ma, nothing's wrong, but I do have some news to tell you…" He paused and swallowed nervously.

"Yes," his mother said slowly, holding her son in her piercing gaze, as if swinging an imaginary rolling pin.

"You see, um, the other day I discovered that, ah, I, I … I have a two month old son." He spat those last words out in a hurry, then stood waiting for the reaction.

His mother's mouth dropped, then she grabbed her son and kissed him on both cheeks. There were tears in her eyes. Then an expression crossed her face and she said, "Two month old?"

"Yes, Ma, I only just found out about him. There was, um, some confusion at the start with me not returning the mother's calls, so I didn't hear about him until now."

Just when Max felt reassured his news had gone down pretty well, he felt a resounding whack across the back of his head. Broad smiles spread across his sisters' faces.

"Is this how I raised you? Huh? I remember the day you were born, looking at your face and asking "Oh God, why did he have to be such a charmer?" I knew then when you grew up you would be the ruin of some poor woman, and look! Was I right? Was I? I did my best to bring you up in The Faith and to be a good boy, but no, you grew up and instead of your God you had your guns and you thought you were the big man, sleeping around like a dog without any care for the consequences! How many other little Maxes are going to show up now, huh? Are you sure this is the only one?"

His mother didn't expect an answer. She took out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes and loudly blew her nose.

Meanwhile Max's father had appeared and was told the news by the girls during his wife's tirade. He walked quietly up to his son, put one hand on Max's arm and heartily shook his son's hand.

"A son, hey? Good job. The mother, is she pretty?"

"Yes, very."

"Have you married her?"

"No."

His father nodded. "Sensible lad," he said, and walked off back to his shed.

Magdalena continued the story. "Ma, I've met both little Thomas and his mother, and they're lovely. Thomas is the image of Maxie."

Here her mother threw her hands up in the air. Then she asked, "The mother, she is happy for us to see the boy?"

"Oh yes, she's completely in favour of it. It's Max's fault he didn't know until now." Max took a precautionary duck in fear of his mother's reaction. "I thought perhaps Max could bring her here today."

Max threw his sister a 'What the hell?' expression.

"Excellent idea," said his mother. "Quick Maxie, ring this…"

"Millie," filled in Mag.

"…this Millie now and ask her to join us."

"Ma, I don't know…"

"Do it!"

Max took out his phone and dialed Millie's number.

"Hi Millie, it's Max. How are you and Thomas? That's great. Hey are you doing anything today? It's just I'm at my mother's and she is rather keen to meet you and Thomas and has invited you to lunch today. Can you come? No, it's fine by me. I'd like you to be here. Can I come and get you now? Great, I'll see you in about 20 minutes then."

Max's mother made one final glare at her son before he made his way back to his car to collect Thomas and Millie. She felt a tug on her apron and looked down to see one of her grandchildren.

"Grandma, is Uncle Max getting married?"

"Yes darling, he is," she replied.

"Ma," Johanna cried indignantly, "Don't tell him that! You don't know what's going to happen!"

"My Max is a good boy, and he'll do what I tell him," she said, and then stomped her way back to her kitchen.

"I think I need a drink before Round 2, what do you think?" Mag said turning to her sister.

"Don't mind if I do," replied Johanna as they headed into the house.

Having been warned this might happen by Mag the other day, Millie was ready to go when Max arrived. When she opened the door she was surprised that Max immediately greeted her with a kiss. She pondered this and went straight out to his car to install the carseat, leaving Max to bond again with his son. He tickled Thomas under the chin and scored another smile. He was happy Millie wasn't here to see it this time!

He met Millie at the car and the three of them drove off to his parents' home. It took them a while to say anything, and it was Millie who eventually broke the ice.

"Are you sure this is OK with you? I mean, I don't want to invade your space or anything. It's your family after all."

"You and Thomas are my family too," replied Max without taking his eyes off the road.

"Thomas is, but me?"

Max stopped at the lights and looked at her, "Look Millie, you are the mother of my child. It's unavoidable that you are going to be integrated into my life and into my family. That's the way it should be for Thomas's sake."

"But won't you resent my intrusion?"

"Believe it or not Millie, I do actually like you for you. I'm not sure what the future holds for us, but maybe we should, you know, make a go of things."

Millie was momentarily speechless. "What are you saying Max?"

"I'm saying maybe we should spend some time together, maybe go out or something, see how things go."

"But, in the past you always gave me the impression you weren't interested in me for anything other than sex. Is that what you want, to sleep with me again?"

Max looked her up and down, "Well, I certainly wouldn't say no to that if the offer was there, but no, that's not what I'm saying. I just think we should get to know each other better."

These revelations were mystifying to Millie. "You want to go out with me?" she said incredulously, as she tried to get her head around the idea.

"Millie, I never meant to give the impression I didn't like you, if that's what you're thinking. My worry has always been that you would try to tie me down or make demands of me, and I wasn't interested in that type of relationship. Now that decision has been made in a way beyond our control, and as it stands, well, we have a baby together, I like you as a person, I find you very attractive and I enjoyed fucking you, so why not?"

Max's logic was simple if somewhat flawed, and Millie really didn't know what to say, or how to counter it without insulting him. Anyway, as he said the words 'fucking you' she felt a swooning sensation she hadn't experienced since before she got pregnant with Thomas. She had thought she was completely over her longing for him, but apparently not. She smiled and said quietly, "All right then," but it was more to end the subject than to agree to his proposal.

Max's swung his car into the entrance to his parents' front garden. His family were all waiting out the front as they walked into the garden and Max held Thomas for all to see.

"Don't they make a handsome couple?" Mag whispered to Johanna with a smile.

Max's mother kissed her grandson, then her son, and then turned to Millie and embraced and kissed her.

"Welcome to our family, darling," she said.

Millie fought her urge to turn around and run away screaming.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Rest of the Day**

Millie was getting slightly concerned for poor Thomas's eyes as cameras flashed at him constantly; getting photos of him, him with Max, him with Millie, and then the really awkward photo of the three of them together as a family. Max had put his arm around her and rested his face against hers as they posed with their son. And after the photo was taken, it had taken him a little too long to remove his arm from the back of her chair. He had even run a finger lightly along her upper arm while his arm rested there, making Millie feel all lightheaded again, as well as self-conscious feeling like that with the eyes of his family upon her. She knew Max was trying to welcome her to the family and mark her as part of his particular branch of it, but his view of her role in the scheme of things was worrying her.

Overall, the afternoon with Max's family went really well. Everybody adored Thomas and she got to relax a bit knowing he was in safe hands. She and Max's sisters hit it off immediately, and she found that Max's mother had good intentions, and was genuinely welcoming and loving. She had a soft spot for Max's largely absent father, and his feelings of being overwhelmed by the extraversion of the female members of the family. She was a bit concerned that she had offended him by not calling Thomas after his father, which was apparently the family tradition. But she really couldn't think of her baby now as anything but Thomas. Anyway, perhaps Max could appease him by giving his father the choice of Thomas's second name.

After the topic of names was discussed, Max's mother said, "So, darling, is he Baptised?"

Her three children suddenly looked nervous. They knew where this line of questioning was going, and that Millie's relationship with their mother could be made or broken irrevocably at this point.

"No, not yet," Millie said cautiously, sensing the change in the atmosphere.

"Do you belong to a church?"

_I should have worded her up about this_, Max thought to himself.

Millie trod carefully again. "No, I only moved to the area just before Thomas was born, and with raising him by myself I haven't had a chance."

_Great answer_, thought Max to himself. _Oww!_

On the mention of Millie raising Thomas by herself, Max's mother had given her son another smack across the head, much to Millie's delight.

Max was getting a little tired of being hit today – and he could see the amused look on Millie's face – so he decided he would take over the conversation from there.

"Millie, we're Catholic and would like Thomas to be Baptised a Catholic. What do you think about that?"

Millie wasn't religious. Her family was Anglican, but she had no objections at all to this request. And the icing on the cake would be the look on her own mother's face when she told her Thomas would be a Catholic!

"Of course, that's fine by me," she replied.

Max and his sisters breathed a sigh of relief.

"Maybe one of you girls can be Godmother?" suggested Max's mum.

Max stepped in again here, "Ma, Millie's sister was with her for the birth and everything, so perhaps she would be Millie's first choice."

Millie smiled a thank you at him.

"Of course, whatever," Mrs Carter was not perturbed. "Maybe for the second baby then?"

"We can sort out the details later," said Mag, putting a hand on Millie's knee to silence her. She could see Millie was about to say something, and knew she wasn't yet aware that in the case of their mother, saying nothing was often the best way to go.

"Lovely," said Max's mother. "Maybe next Sunday, Millie, you - and Max," here she threw a glare at her son, "can come to Mass with us and meet out priest?"

Max rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty flexible, so I suppose it's up to Max," said Millie, "He's the one with a work schedule."

"Speaking of schedules," said Johanna, "Mag and I have been talking, and we were thinking some time this week, we should give Millie a day off."

The thought was appealing but also frightening to Millie. Could she bear to leave Thomas? "OK…" she said warily.

"And at the same time," continued Mag, "Max can get a bit of fathering experience."

Max's thoughts about this proposition were the same as Millie's.

"Maxie, do you think you can wangle yourself a day off some time this week?"

"I can try…"

"What's the plan then?" asked Millie.

"We spend a day with Max and Thomas, as supervisors, while you go off and have a spa or a massage, read a book, watch a movie, sleep, take a lover…"

"Magdalena!"

"Sorry Ma, it was a joke! Have you ever expressed milk Millie?"

"I've never really had the need."

"Well I will show you what to do. What do you think?"

"Well, it would be great to be able to go to the gym…" replied Millie.

"Millie, I adore you, but sometimes I just can't understand you!" said Mag. "Go for the lover option…" She ducked one of her mother's slaps.

"OK, well, I'll leave you to work out the day then, because it doesn't make much difference to me. Now, is there somewhere I can take Thomas to feed? He prefers somewhere quiet." Millie really liked Max's family, but she needed a break and was a bit embarrassed to feed in front of them all.

"Come on darling, I'll show you," said Max's mother and led her upstairs.

They went into one of the bedrooms and Millie made her way to the large bed and sat down on it. Max's mother moved Millie's legs onto the bed, then pushed her forward while she determined the correct number of pillows to put behind Millie to make her comfortable. She even provided Millie with a pillow to rest Thomas on so her arms didn't get tired. Millie actually found herself enjoying the pampering, so when Max's mother said, "Go ahead, start, I'll just watch you for a while," she didn't mind. Millie was slightly perturbed when she undid her top and the older woman examined her nipple to see if it was cracked and needed a lotion, but once Thomas was feeding Mrs Carter seemed happy enough to study the scene of her youngest grandchild getting nourished by his pretty young mother, on whom she had now bestowed all the hopes she had for Max's happiness.

The call of 'Grandma!' from outside the room disturbed this tranquil scene, and Grandma got up to answer.

"I'll leave you to it, darling," she said kissing her on the forehead, then adding, "I'll think you'll be very good for my Maxie." And then she got up to leave.

Millie felt she should perhaps put Max's mum straight about a few things, but then realised it probably wasn't worth the bother. Anyway, that was really Max's job. She looked down at Thomas at her breast, then closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence. Then she heard the sound of the door opening, and looked up to see Max tip toeing in. He made a gesture to indicate that he didn't want to disturb her and came over and sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

Neither of them said anything, and Thomas continued to suck away contentedly at his mother's breast. Millie found her neck was getting a little stiff and rolled her head to loosen it. Max noticed this, and positioned himself so he could give her neck a bit of a massage. He did a very good job of it, and Millie once again closed her eyes and leant her head back to indulge in the sensation of relief provided by Max's fingers. She became aware of his breathing near her ear, and realised it had slowed somewhat. Then she felt the touch of his fingers on her neck being replaced by the touch of his lips. She knew it was wrong, but she found herself enjoying the sensation. She opened her eyes and looked at him, and he put his hand at the back of her head and brought her lips to his. His actions were very gentle, as if he were ensuring they wouldn't disturb the baby. The kiss became more open-mouthed and passionate. Millie didn't want it to stop, but was still conscious that somehow this was not right. Did Max think they automatically had a relationship, and that she was his, because of Thomas and because she had been accepted into his family? Didn't he understand that you had to work at these things, that there had been no discussion about this and that she hadn't agreed to anything? God, she wished she knew what she wanted from him! Then it would be so much easier to push him away now, and put him straight on the subject. Instead she found herself hesitant to do this, for fear it might drive him away forever.

In the end, she used Thomas as an excuse. "He's finished now," she said turning her head downwards and thus freeing her mouth from Max's. "You'd better go downstairs. I'll follow in a minute."

"OK," Max didn't know quite what was happening, but he didn't want to argue. "I suppose I should be getting you home soon, so he can sleep."

"Yes. I'll see you downstairs shortly."

Max got up and left the room, leaving Millie wondering what the hell was going on and where they would go from here.

Soon they had said their good byes to the family and were in the car on their way back to Millie's place. Again, the trip started off in silence, but this time it was Max who spoke.

"So, you like the idea of a day off then?"

"Yes, kind of. Though I don't know how I'll cope being away from Thomas."

"We'll take good care of him, don't worry. My family made the suggestion that perhaps we should spent a day soon just you, me and Thomas, to work on that dynamic. What do you think about that?"

"I actually think that's very sensible. We should arrange that."

The car stopped at Millie's place and she look into the back seat to see Thomas sleeping soundly.

"You take him and I'll organise the car seat," said Max.

Millie took Thomas in and carefully placed him in his cot. She went back into the loungeroom and Max soon appeared carrying the car seat.

"Coffee?" suggested Millie.

"Yes thanks," said Max sitting down.

When Millie returned Max decided to broach another topic. "Millie, about before..."

"It's been a big day, which particular 'before' do you mean?"

"When we kissed."

"Uh huh..."

"I got the impression you were into it as much as I was."

"Probably, but I don't think we should be doing that type of thing."

"So are you saying that's it for us?"

"Max, I don't know. I'm confused. I don't want to rush into anything."

"But you're not ruling anything out?" Max looked hopeful.

"Max I..."

"Millie, I think we should start you and me again from scratch. What do you say?"

Millie was perplexed. "Um, how do you suggest we do that?"

"First of all, I guess I say, 'Millie do you want to have dinner with me some time?' How does that sound?"

"It sounds like a good place to start I guess. But what about Thomas?"

"One of my sisters can babysit, they've already offered. And it doesn't have to be dinner if you're tired. It can be lunch, brunch, even a coffee."

"Well then how can I refuse?"

"Good. Well, should we get in touch then once we've organised a babysitter? Maybe we can squeeze it into this already busy week?"

"Maybe."

"OK, well I'll go now, and we'll speak tomorrow or something."

"Sure."

"Bye Millie." Max gave her a chaste peck on the cheek.

"Bye Max," Millie said as she watched him walk away from her door.

Max walked to his car and looked back up at the light that was Millie's lounge room window. He wondered how he was going to manage organising three whole days of Thomas and Millie this week. He trusted his sisters' wisdom in these matters, even though it seemed to him a daunting prospect to devote so much of his time to other people. But despite this fear he was aware of his underlying conviction that all this effort might just be worth it.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Night Out**

Millie sat at her dressing table applying her make up while Magdalena and Johanna sat on the bed fussing over their little nephew. Millie was nervous. She had coped with her day away from Thomas (during which she went to the gym and then came home and slept), although that was only made bearable by the constant text updates Max and his sisters sent her as to Thomas's well being. Thomas of course had been fine without her, and had apparently only grizzled a little when she first left, and when he woke from his nap and she wasn't there. Tonight, she feared, would be doubly nerve-wracking as she not only had the worry of being separated from Thomas, but also the nervousness associated with going on a first date, even if it was with the father of her child. How would she and Max get along, she wondered, when they had to rely on conversation rather than Thomas or sex to keep them occupied? She couldn't picture Max sitting attentively while she talked about her childhood, or about the years after school when she had drifted and dabbled in various things before deciding on joining up for the stability of the police force. Oh, well, she could always steer the conversation back to Thomas, she thought, or even get Max to talk about his work. He'd love that. Millie felt she didn't really have anything else much in her life at the moment apart from Thomas to talk about.

Her hormones were doing strange things to her, and it seemed that every concern or worry that crossed her mind took on monumental importance. It was like Max's and her future depended completely on her choice of conversation tonight, and if she failed she would be ruining not only their relationship, but Thomas's future as well. She had no idea what Max thought of everything, but he seemed keen to make things work. Witnessing his parents' relationship in action had given rise to yet more fears in Millie. Was his aim to be in a relationship like his parents had? Did Max think that his parents' relationship was normal or even desirable? Was that what her life with him would be like? Was it enough for Max to have a partner who did little more with him than share in the creation of children, then cook extravagant meals for him and his numerous descendants? Millie's mind was a muddle at the moment, but at least she knew one thing. And that was that she didn't want to end up like either her own or Max's parents.

Millie stood up and checked herself out in the full length mirror. Mag and Johanna whistled at the sight of her, with her hair done and the rest of her clad in heels and stockings and figure-hugging emerald coloured velvet dress. She was slightly shocked at how much the dress showed off her full, lactating breasts, and she couldn't quite convince herself that the mirrored-image was actually her. Oh well, if Max got bored he could always amuse himself by staring at her cleavage, she thought.

"Do you think it's too much?" she asked the girls. "What with the swollen breasts and the breast pads…"

"NO!" they replied in chorus.

"You look absolutely gorgeous Millie," said Johanna.

"Really, tonight won't be much of a change from being with Thomas, because, I imagine, just like him, Max will be tongue-tied and drooling in anticipation of you undoing your bra all night," said Mag, taking a picture of Millie with her phone.

"So Millie, tell us why you turned Max down when he asked you out all those years ago?" said Johanna.

"What? Did he tell you about that? I turned him down because I had just been held hostage for 24 hours, and before that he and I had argued and he had told someone I had nothing going on between my ears."

"You're kidding? And yet when he repeats the story all he says is that you turned down his offer for a drink. How like a man! Remind me to hit him when he arrives!"

"Here's your chance Mag, there's the bell."

Mag raced off to answer the door, and opened it to see her brother standing there. He wore a shirt and jacket and held a bunch of flowers.

"Hi Mag, oww what was that for?"

"For asking Millie out after she'd been kidnapped, and getting upset when she turned you down. Well, full points for the flowers, but where's your tie?"

"I remembered that Millie once made a remark about not seeing the point of ties, so I decided against wearing one." Max was very proud of himself.

"That's very good Max, I'm impressed! You should see her, she looks gorgeous. Shame you probably won't score tonight, but then probably just as well considering that condom-defying sperm of yours. I took a picture of her for you to get you through the night after you've dropped her home."

"Thanks Sis, you think of everything!" Max rolled his eyes. "Now, where's my son and…um, date?"

"You wait here, I will bring them out."

Mag soon returned with Thomas and Johanna, who handed Max his son.

"Hi Thomas, remember me? You pissed in my face the other day," said Max. His sisters smiled at each other. They were pleased they'd been able to film that moment to show Millie!

Millie had wanted to don her coat before entering the room to see Max, but Mag had prevented that happening by taking the coat out with her. So Millie when walked into the room Max was able to get the full effect of her outfit, from her ankle boots to her carefully arranged hair. But it was the way the dress hung over her slightly more generous than normal figure on which his eyes lingered longest. Max was speechless.

"Look at him, he's gobsmacked!" said Johanna. "Isn't Thomas lucky to have such a yummy mummy, Maxie?"

"Sorry son, she's all mine tonight," said Max, depositing Thomas with his sister, then walking over to Millie and handing her the flowers with a kiss.

Millie smiled self-consciously at him and smelt the flowers.

"OK you two, time to go. Be as late as you like and if you're worried you can text," Mag started to push them out the door.

"And you'll let us know if there are any problems?" said Millie anxiously, as she put on her coat.

"There won't be, but of course we will. Now off you go," Mag shut the door behind them.

They walked to the car shyly looking sideways at each other.

Millie checked Max over. "You look great," she said.

"I could have worn my oldest clothes tonight for all it matters. No one will notice I even exist when I'm standing beside you. You look fantastic!"

"Hey, I'm not no one and I'm noticing how you look! And I'm very pleased," Millie said as they hopped into the car.

They drove for a little while, then parked and walked to the restaurant together. It was a fine, late Autumn evening, slightly chilly but quite pleasant for walking. Max wondered if he should offer Millie his hand, but decided against it. He noticed she was attracting a number of admiring glances as they walked, and he wasn't quite happy about that.

They got to the restaurant and handed over their coats. Max drew a deep breath as he once again laid eyes on Millie in that dress. He pulled out her chair for her and then sat himself down. The waiter brought over the menu.

"Do you want some wine?" Max asked Millie, looking over the wine list.

"No, I can't drink remember, breastfeeding."

"Of course, how could I forget your breasts, I mean, you're breastfeeding." Max was quite pleased with his semi-deliberate Freudian slip.

"Don't, I feel so self-conscious! I'm not used to these being on display you know. I feel people are staring at me!"

"Sorry Millie. Anyway, it's not just the breasts people would be noticing. You just look beautiful tonight. Every part of you. But shall we talk about other things?"

"Yes please."

The waiter came and took the order. After he left, Max and Millie smiled awkwardly at each other across the table. They were both aware they were supposed to be getting to know each other, but where to start?

"How are things at Sun Hill?" Millie asked eventually.

"Yeah, pretty much the same as ever. You win some, you lose some – you know what it's like. Probably not that different to the station you were at. How was that by the way?"

"Well, by the time I got there I was mainly doing desk work, because of, you know. There were some nice people there. I didn't really make many friends, not like at Sun Hill."

"Did you date anyone there?"

"Yes, one guy asked me out once. But the whole pregnancy thing tends to turn them off."

Max was surprised Millie answered in the affirmative. His mind conjured up a distressing vision of poor embryonic Thomas being sloshed around in Millie's womb by the motion of her and this interloper's passion. But he was determined to keep the conversation pleasant, so he asked, "You liked him, huh?"

"Not especially. It was just a dinner. I wasn't really hanging out for 'it' while I was pregnant, if you know what I mean."

"How about now?" Max's eyes pretended they were looking out for their food to arrive.

"You mean with all the concerns about stitches healing properly, sore, swollen, leaky breasts, feeling fat, worrying about Thomas, worrying about getting pregnant again, exhaustion, lack of sleep…"

"I get the picture. I wasn't propositioning you, you know. I'm not going to hide the fact I'd be all over you if you gave me the slightest encouragement, but you're not just a sex object to me."

"Does me being a mother take away my desirability to you?" Millie heard herself say this, and cursed her hormones for bringing her insecurities so close to the surface.

Max had seen his sisters through many pregnancies, and so even though he could easily have simply asked if she even listened to a word he just said, he didn't. He knew she wanted reassurance. And probably further reassurance on top of that. He reached across the table and took her hand.

"Millie," he said gently, "I thought you were cute the first time I laid eyes on you. And the night Thomas was conceived my desire for you was insatiable. Now, you're not just a mother to me, you're the mother of my child. And that gives you whole new levels of desirability."

Max leant forward and pulled her hands closer to him across the table. He studied her face, trying to determine if his words had gone anywhere towards alleviating her fears. Millie looked back at him and smiled.

"Er hem,"

Their intimate moment was disrupted by a cough. They looked up to see the beaming face of PC Nate Roberts, who was there with his girlfriend Becky.

"Nate!" Millie leapt up and hugged him enthusiastically. Max and Becky smiled awkwardly at each other and said "Hi".

"Hey Mills! Say, you look fantastic! Doesn't she Max?" Nate looked at Max and winked.

Millie released him and turned to Becky and gave her a peck on the cheek and a polite "Nice to see you again."

Becky replied, "Nate tells me you have a baby."

"Yes, Thomas, ten weeks old now," Millie didn't wait to be asked to show a photo, she reached for her phone.

Nate spoke. "So, are you two…" He felt Becky's foot come down sharply on his. "What? I'm just asking!"

"It's a rude question," she muttered under her breath.

"We are keeping the lines of communication open," said Millie carefully.

Nate leant down and whispered to Max, "I tell you what mate, a girl doesn't dress like that for someone she just wants to talk to."

Max grinned.

"Well, I suppose we'd best be off. Lovely to see you again, Millie. Thomas is gorgeous. Nice to meet you Max." Becky grabbed Nate's hand to lead him away.

"We'll speak soon Mills, bye Max," Nate winked, and they left.

Millie and Max waved after them.

"Well, our date will be all over Sun Hill by tomorrow," said Millie.

"That's not a problem as far as I'm concerned," replied Max.

"It would have been back when I first got pregnant," Millie said reproachfully. "Not that I wanted everyone to know about us, but you made it clear there would be dire consequences if I told anyone."

Max had heard this all before but he did his best to remain patient. "Millie, the simple fact is our relationship has altered since then. Thomas has changed everything, including the way we have to relate to each other. But put it this way. I'm enjoying being with you now, even without Thomas here."

Millie sighed. "Sorry Max, I know I'm being a sook. Look, do you want to forego dessert and go for a walk? I feel like getting some fresh air."

"Suits me."

Max paid the bill while Millie went and fixed herself up in the bathroom. They walked out into the night, and decided to take a stroll along the river. It wasn't late, not quite 8 o'clock. They had met early, as getting home and getting sleep was a priority for Millie. There was still a chill in the air and Millie gave an involuntary shiver. Max saw it and placed his arm around her shoulders. She responded with arm around his waist and they walked along contentedly, chatting about this and that but avoiding any of the 'issues' that had plagued their dinner time conversation.

At one point they paused and sat on a bench for a while. It was a clear night with an almost full moon. Max looked at Millie and was reminded of the vision of her in the moonlight on the night of Thomas's conception. She was not quite the same Moon Maiden he had made love to that night, but her skin was still alabaster and her expression just as otherworldy. She turned to see him looking at her, and their eyes met. With his finger under her chin, he lifted her face to his and kissed her. Unlike the kiss at his parents' place, this was just a single kiss, after which he pulled her towards him and held her in his arms. In the past kissing her had led to the desire to simply ravage her, but tonight he wanted only to protect and cherish her.

They stayed in this pose for quite some time, until eventually Max said, "I suppose we'd better get you home to Thomas."

Millie sighed, "Yes, it's probably time. Your sisters will want to be getting home."

Max and Millie walked back to the car with their arms around each other. Neither spoke much, but both were content. They clung to each other until they reached the car, as neither wanted to let the other go. But for tonight at least, they both knew very soon they would have to.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Big Mistake**

Over the next month Thomas spent many days with his father, his father and his mother together, and his father's family. During that period Max and Millie found the time to go to the Carters' local church and meet with the priest to arrange Thomas's Baptism. Millie's sister Annie arranged a visit to fulfil her role as Godmother, and an old friend of Max's was standing as Thomas's Godfather. Millie's mother also agreed to attend.

Max and Millie's relationship seemed to be going from strength to strength, though it remained for the most part non-physical. The odd kiss was exchanged, but nothing happened beyond that. Max was cautious about his behaviour in consideration for Millie's sensitivities, and Millie was equally cautious, but mostly because she didn't want to run the risk of being hurt by Max again. They were able to go on a couple of other date nights and a one day outing to the gym together. Max had decided that Thomas should have a room at his place too, so he and Millie spent a couple of afternoons setting up a nursery there. Max owned his house and Millie rented, so they could add a lot more personal touches to the room at Max's. They painted, put up shelves, hung pictures and wall hangings. Max had to admit however that he found the room a bit sad and empty when Thomas and Millie weren't around.

All in all, Max, Millie and Thomas operated as a contented family unit. The Saturday a week before the Baptism, Millie had taken Thomas out to the doctor for his regular check up. She was happy to be told he was growing well, had no apparent health problems and was ticking all the boxes in terms of his development. She sang as she drove him home from the doctors. It was getting on to time for his sleep. Later that afternoon too, she was going to collect her sister from the airport. It occurred to Millie that Max's house was closer to the airport than her place. Why not put Thomas to sleep in his room at Max's, she thought to herself? She stopped the car and reached for her phone to call Max, then realised the battery had run out. Never mind, she thought to herself, she would just call by and see if he was in. If not, she could just take Thomas home.

Millie pulled up outside Max's house and got Thomas out of the car. She slung his bag over her shoulder and carried him to the front door. She rang the bell. Soon enough Max came to answer the door. She gave him a big smile, then it dawned on her he didn't exactly look thrilled to see her.

"Hi," he said uncomfortably. "What are you doing here?"

Millie realised he was not inviting her in. In fact he was holding the door half shut.

"We were on our way back from the doctors and thought we'd drop in." Millie's smile had well and truly faded by now. "But if it's not ok, we'll keep going."

Millie heard the sound of a phone ringing from inside the house. Then the ringing stopped and she heard a voice talking. It was a woman's voice.

"I hear you have company," Millie's voice was icy. "We'll leave you to it.

"Millie, I..." Max sprang forward and tried to grab her by the wrist to stop her leaving. Once he came out into the light, she couldn't help but notice a smudge of lipstick near the side of his mouth.

Millie shook her hand loose from his, and turned and walked to her car. Max didn't bother running after her. He didn't want to upset Thomas, or to make a scene in his street. He thought it would be best to deal with things when they were both at his parents' tomorrow.

Millie tearfully drove home and put Thomas straight to sleep in his cot. Luckily he slept without difficulty. His mother on the other hand flung herself into her pillows and sobbed. Max had done it to her yet again. She had started off not expecting anything from him, then he had led her to believe he cared, and ultimately he had let her down. She would never, ever trust him again.

Millie's phone started ringing, but knowing it was Max, she ignored it. After Thomas's sleep she and he drove out to collect Annie from the airport. Millie spent the evening being consoled by her sister.

The following day Millie drove with Thomas over to Max's parents' place. She was relieved to see Mag in the front garden. She really didn't want to go in and face everyone.

"Hi Millie, hi Thomas!" Mag greeted them in a way that indicated to Millie that Max had not told anyone what had happened.

"Hi Mag, I'm here to drop Thomas off. Tell Max he can bring him home at the end of the day."

Mag was stunned. "Aren't you coming in too, Millie?" she asked slowly.

"No, I'm not. Thanks for trying to include me in the family, but the simple fact is I'm not a member of the family, and Max has made it very clear I cramp his style. I'm sorry it has to be like this." Millie kissed Mag's check and pushed Thomas towards her in his pram. She turned and walked back to her car.

A baffled Mag took Thomas to see her equally baffled mother and sister. Max had not yet arrived, so they sat and played with Thomas and wondered what exactly was going on.

Max arrived soon after. He saw Thomas and gave him a cuddle hello.

"Where's Millie?" he asked his sisters.

Mag answered him. "She dropped him off and left. She said you made it clear that she's not part of this family. That's all we know."

Max's mother had entered the room now, and all three of them faced Max accusingly.

"Can you tell us what she means by that?" his mother asked.

Max took a deep breath. "Millie dropped in unexpectedly yesterday, and she discovered that I had...company."

The three women looked at each other. "You mean female company?" Johanna asked.

Max nodded shamefully.

"You cheated on Millie then?" Mag's face was like stone.

"No, no," insisted Max. "I didn't sleep with this woman! I couldn't go through with it..."

"So you invited her over to sleep with her?" asked Mag.

"Yes, no, I'm not sure. I just wanted to make sure how I felt about Millie, so I thought I'd test things out..."

"So you invited this girl over as a test?" Mrs Carter looked at her son in disbelief.

"I guess so..."

Max waited for his mother to slap him. Instead, she looked at him without any expression.

"I am ashamed of you," she said. Then she turned her back on him and walked from the room.

Max looked to his sisters.

"So where did you find this floozy?" Johanna asked.

"She's someone I have had a long standing casual..."

"Ah, a fuck buddy. Well I hope you're happy you've chosen her over the mother of your child. We all thought Millie was pretty wonderful."

"So did I." Max said in a small voice.

"Too late to realise that now, isn't it? Well, we'll leave you to play with your son."

His sisters left him alone with Thomas. Thomas was very happy to see his father, but this did little to lift Max's spirits. He found the rest of the day awkward, as no one in the family would speak to him, with the minor exception of his dad. Even his sisters' offspring seemed to have got the message Max was persona non-gratis.

At the end of the day Max drove Thomas back to Millie's place. He was looking forward to having the opportunity to talk with her, even though he knew it wouldn't be pleasant.

He got Thomas out of his car and knocked on the front door. The door opened and he looked up expecting to see Millie, but instead was greeted by a woman who could only be her sister. She was red headed like Millie and had similar features to her, but she had a more carefree look about her. Or at least she would have if she weren't scowling at him.

"Hi Annie, I'm Max. Is Millie there?" he asked.

"Yes she is. She doesn't want to see you. She says you can email her if you have anything to say. Now, I suggest you just hand me Thomas and leave," Annie said.

"Please, I need to see her. I need to tell her I'm sorry."

"Just go Max." It was obvious Annie was finding it hard to control her fury.

Max decided he had no option but to leave. "Tell Millie I'll call her during the week," he said as he turned to go.

Annie slammed the door shut behind him.

Max drove home to his empty house, and went straight into Thomas's room. He sat in the arm chair they had put there for Millie to breastfeed Thomas in. Opposite it on the chest of drawers was a photo of the three of them together. He couldn't bear to look at it. He picked up one of Thomas's teddies and stared into its glassy eyes. He had never felt so wretched in his life.

He knew what he had done was wrong. He couldn't really explain why he did it. His feelings for Millie were overwhelming and they scared him, and he had convinced himself that sampling the joys of another woman would be the ultimate proof that commitment to Millie was the right thing. He wished he'd never bumped into Sonia that day. She was always so willing and they always had fun together, so it had seemed that it would just be so easy and uncomplicated. But even the little bit of kissing they had shared had felt like a betrayal of Millie. He just couldn't get into it. He found himself pushing her away. Sonia had been philosophical about it and they had instead made small talk over a cup of coffee. Then Millie had appeared at the door. Why did she have to drop in unannounced like that? Thirty minutes later and Sonia would have been gone, and his slip up would have gone by unnoticed.

Max needed to talk to someone, and the only person he trusted was his sister Magdalena. He dialed her number.

"Hello."

"Are you going to hang up on me?"

Mag sighed. "It's tempting. But I think you're suffering for what you've done already."

"Have I ruined everything Mag?"

"Who knows? Millie was very determined that was it when she dropped Thomas off. You must have hurt her so much. Oh Maxie, how could you be so stupid?"

"She was just there Mag. Seeing Sonia just seemed like such a convenient way to test my feelings for Millie. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making a mistake."

"Max, everything's a risk. I've been married 12 years, and I can't be certain Paul and I will always love each other."

"I didn't want to end up like Mum and Dad, you know."

"Yes I do know. It's a fear that haunts us all. But you're not Dad and Millie's not Mum. Millie has a sense of humour for one thing!"

"I wish there was a funny side for her to see to this! Oh Mag, I was so used to being so sure of how Millie felt about me, but since Thomas came along, it's like she's had the upper hand. It was like I was the one who had to prove how I felt, and I guess I wasn't used to it."

"Of course not, you spoilt little brat. Well, we live and learn. The Baptism will be interesting next week!"

"Let's hope she'll talk to me before then."

"Maxie, I hope you can work it out, I really do. I love you both."

"Thanks, Mag. I love you too."

Max hung up the phone. Yes, the Baptism would be interesting. Especially if Mag was the only person talking to him.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Baptism**

Max's mother lived the whole week in fear that Millie wouldn't show up for Thomas's Baptism the following Sunday. The Baptism was scheduled after the 1030 morning Mass, and Max and Millie were told they had to be there fifteen minutes before the 1200 start. When the day arrived, Max and his family went to the Mass and stayed at the church between the two ceremonies.

They became increasingly nervous as 1145 drew nearer. All the guests had arrived. Max looked back into the church at the Sun Hill contingent, all of whom had been invited by Millie. Most of her uniform colleagues were there: Roger, Mel, Nate, Leon, Ben, Smithy – who seemed to have brought along Stevie – and even Sally and Will had showed up. Max wondered what they would think if Millie didn't show. Since the cat had been out of the bag, he'd been boasting about Thomas, pulling out photos to show his colleagues and giving them the impression that everything was hunky dory. He'd be so humiliated if she didn't even bother to bring their son to his Baptism.

Max admitted, though, that humiliation was probably something he deserved, considering what he had done. He knew he had brought it on himself. He decided if ever there were a time and a place to pray, this was it. He knelt, blessed himself and bowed his head. This was a sight that thrilled his mother, who got down on her on knees beside him and offered a prayer of thanks. Max's prayer was quite different. He looked up at Jesus on the crucifix. _I know what you say about committing adultery in your heart being a sin, but doesn't stopping myself count for something? Why did you let me bump into Sonia last Saturday? Sorry, I know, it's my own fault. But does my punishment have to be losing Millie? What would it take for her to forgive me? Lord, don't let it be too late…_

Max's prayer was disturbed by the sound of someone walking down the aisle. Nate's girlfriend Becky, who had gone in search of a bathroom, returned and told the others she had seen Millie in the carpark.

"It seems things haven't worked out between her and Max," she announced. "So everything's a bit awkward."

As she sat down, Millie, Annie and their mother entered the church with Thomas. Max looked back and thought he'd never seen a sight as beautiful as Millie that day. She wore a pale pink jacket and skirt that looked smart yet feminine, and was just the right colour to set off the brownness of her eyes and the porcelain of her complexion. Of course, she could have been wearing a potato sack and still looked wonderful to him after a week of not seeing her. Max smiled when he noticed Thomas, looking adorable in his white gown and cap.

Millie introduced her family to her colleagues. Max reflected on how, if he hadn't been so stupid, he, Millie and Thomas would be greeting everyone as a family right now.

"Are these your sisters?" Leon asked Millie, spinning a usually benign and highly unoriginal line. But Leon didn't know Millie's mother. She was certainly a very attractive, well-preserved woman, with dark brown hair (the girls' red hair being the legacy of their father). And she was rather young to be widowed. As a consequence, since her husband's death she had become quite a flirt. She didn't think an attractive young constable 20 years her junior at all out of her league. Much to Leon's horror, she winked at him.

Millie kissed and greeted everyone as Max watched from the pew at the front of the church. On the end of the row sat Will Fletcher, with whom Millie seemed deep in conversation. Max frowned when he noticed that Will had his arm stretched out towards Millie, and was resting his hand on her hip. Apparently Will had heard Millie was fair game again and thought he'd make his move.

Millie's family made their way to the front of the church, and the two families were introduced. Everyone was very civil. Max's family made room for Millie and Annie to sit beside Max at the front of the church.

"Isn't Thomas lovely?" remarked Mrs Carter to Mrs Brown, as she wrapped their grandson in her heirloom family Christening shawl.

"As long as I don't have to look after him, he's precious!" replied Mrs Brown. Max's mum looked at her as if she were an alien life-form.

Mrs Brown then leant forward and hissed into Millie's ear "How long will this circus take?"

"Shh," replied Millie. She sat and stared ahead of her. She hadn't even acknowledged Max. He tried to take her hand in his but she snatched it away.

"You didn't tell me Max's mum's name was Magda Carter," whispered Annie. "That's hilarious."

Millie couldn't help herself, and she joined her sister in giggling.

The Godfather, Tony, nudged Max and said, "Your missus is a cutie, isn't she? I've always had a thing for gingers. Maybe if you've finished with her…"

Max glared at him.

"It was a joke. The sister though, she's single isn't she?"

"As far as I know, but you'd be almost ten years older than her."

"I'm not planning on marrying her, Max." Tony leant over Max and shook Millie's hand, then the hand of her sister. He held onto Annie's hand for a long time. Annie didn't seem to mind.

The priest entered and the congregation stood. Max offered Millie help lifting Thomas, but she shook his hand away.

"You look lovely," he said quietly.

Millie blinked back tears and said nothing.

Everybody sat except the parents and Godparents. The priest asked Max and Millie what they wanted for their child and they replied in unison: "Baptism." He asked them if they promised to bring him up in the faith of the church and on cue they said "We do". He asked Tony and Annie if they would help the parents fulfill this promise and they said "We do."

They sat down while Max's two sisters gave the readings. Millie looked over Thomas's head at Max. He looked tired, she thought. Millie pictured how the day would be if last Saturday hadn't happened. Instead of reciting the vows mechanically, she could have looked into his eyes, and Max and she could have been sharing it all: their pride in Thomas, the amused glances at their parents' antics, some open affection. She could be picking that bit of lint off his jacket or straightening that tie. Instead, they behaved almost like strangers. She wanted so much to forgive him, but how could she trust him? Max caught her eye, and all she could do was sadly turn away.

The parents and Godparents were directed to the font. Thomas was held over it and oil and water was rubbed onto his forehead while Millie held him and Max protected his head against its hard marble edge as Thomas struggled against the priest's ministrations. Thomas cried. Cameras flashed. Millie and Max found themselves posing together as a couple with Thomas. Max slipped his arm around Millie's waist, and Millie fought the urge to reciprocate.

Then Thomas was handed to the Godparents who also posed for photos. Millie and Max took a step back and while this was happening, and Max took the opportunity to address Millie.

"I'm so sorry. I was really stupid," he said. "Can you forgive me?"

"Not now, I'll cry," Millie replied through gritted teeth.

"Millie, I was an alter boy in this church, and I wouldn't lie to you here. It will never happen again."

"What will never happen again?" Millie's eyes flashed for a moment. The she remember herself and lowered her voice. "You're admitting something happened then?"

"Millie…" Max began, but their moment alone had ended.

And Millie had been left with the impression that Max had just made a confession.

The sacrament ended and more photos were taken: Thomas with his Godparents, with his Grandparents, his aunts, his parents, with Millie's family, with Max's family, with both families together. The pretence that everything was OK was starting to get to everyone.

"Let's get the cake over with, so we don't have to deal with these dreadful people any more," Mrs Brown said to Millie. Then she smiled as she noticed Leon.

"Mum, you leave Leon alone. He's very sensitive. The love of his life was killed in a car accident!"

"So we're both widowed then?" said Mrs Brown. Millie could have kicked herself for saying that as she watched her mother slink over to poor Leon.

Thomas was being held by his paternal Grandmother, and Millie took a step back from the throng to grab a moment to herself. Soon she felt a hand on her arm and Will Fletcher appeared beside her.

"How are you holding up?" he asked kindly.

"Oh God, it's so exhausting!" Millie replied.

"I hear things didn't work out with you and Max," said Will. "That's a shame."

"Is it? Perhaps it's just the way things are meant to be. Of course, for Thomas's sake, it would have been nice."

"Say Millie, how about some time…"

"Will!" Will turned around to see Max holding out a hand to shake. "Good to see you. How's the new job?"

"Fine thanks Max," Will replied. He noticed that Max wasn't releasing the tight grip he had on his hand.

"Millie, everyone's moving to the hall now, if you're ready." Max made it clear he wasn't budging until Millie and Will followed him.

Millie and Will looked at each other and smiled. They had no choice but to walk to the hall with Max.

Max prattled on about work to Will, while Annie came up behind her sister and lead her away by the arm.

"Max cramping your style is he? That Will's pretty gorgeous. Why didn't you ever go out with him? He obviously likes you."

"Yeah, I know."

"So what's your problem?"

Millie took a deep sigh. "He's not Max," she replied, hating herself for saying it. "That's the problem."

Annie hugged her sister. "Look Millie, if you feel that strongly about him, maybe you should talk to him? Give him a chance to explain himself."

Their conversation was ended when they encountered the Sun Hill crowd.

"I hope you don't mind me crashing your party," said Stevie, "But when I heard Smithy was coming I twisted his arm til he agreed to take me as his 'guest'."

"That's fine, Stevie. You're welcome here. I left inviting CID to Max, and well, you know Max!"

"Your mother's an attractive women," said Nate. "But I was surprised she's not a red head."

"We're not the Weasleys, you know," responded Annie defensively. "And are you saying Millie and I aren't attractive?"

"I think you're both gorgeous," said Nate, who found he had gone from upsetting Annie to upsetting his girlfriend. "I'm just impressed how…outgoing your mother is." He couldn't hide his amusement as he indicated Mrs Brown cornering poor Leon.

"I'll go save him!" said Annie, rolling her eyes.

Leon soon found himself safely amongst the Sun Hill fold.

"I tell you, I'm never paying anyone's mother a compliment again! She was practically feeling me up!"

"Well she's not breaking her heart by the looks of things," laughed Smithy, indicating that Mrs Brown had now made her way over to Roger.

Magdalena walked up to Annie.

"So, do you think she'll forgive Max?" she asked.

Annie sighed. "God knows. He has hurt her pretty badly. But I think she loves him."

"He loves her too. But I don't know what I can say? He shouldn't have done what he did, even if he didn't sleep with this woman. I guess Max just isn't used to having strong feeling for someone, so he didn't know how to handle his feelings for Millie."

"So, what did actually happen?" asked Annie.

"He bumps into this girl he'd slept with a few times and stupidly thinks, this is a good way to test how I feel. But when push comes to shove, if you'll excuse the expression, he couldn't go through with it. So he is explaining this to her when Millie appears at the door. And of course he feels and acts guilty."

"I see. Millie has no idea what actually happened you know. She wouldn't realise he didn't sleep with her. I wonder if it would make a difference? Magdalena, I know he's your brother, but I have to say, all that I've ever seen of their relationship is Max letting her down. How can I encourage her to give him another chance?"

"I hear you. I love Millie like a sister too, and I don't want him to hurt her again. I'm just hoping he's learnt his lesson."

"Hmm, well I guess all we can do is leave it up to Millie. I'll have a word and let her know what actually happened, and let her take it from there."

"Fingers crossed, hey? For all our sakes!" said Mag.

Annie sought out her sister, who was showing off Thomas to Mel and Stevie.

"Can I have a quick word?" she asked. Millie left Thomas with the girls and followed Annie.

"Yeah, what?" said Millie.

"I just thought I should tell you I was speaking to Magdalena about the other day, and she reckons nothing actually happened between Max and this girl. Apparently she was an old lover and when it came down to it, he wouldn't do anything because of his feelings for you. I guess the idiot just thought he'd test himself."

"So, he brought this friend home for a meaningless shag, but ultimately didn't go through with it? So I should forgive him?"

"I know, he still did the wrong thing. But I thought you should know, and it is something to think about."

"OK, I will bear it in mind."

Gradually the guests began to leave, and only family members remained. Mrs Brown managed to score a lift home with a very nervous Roger (who persuaded Mel to join them). An aged nun appeared to get the key to the hall and lock up after them. Max and Millie had to run around getting everything tidied up before they left. Everyone was giving them a wide berth, hoping they might talk. Millie was feeling very conscious of this and was frantically trying to find her sister, to use her as a chaperone.

She turned around to find herself face to face with Max. "Have you seen Annie?" she asked.

'I think I saw her head towards the storeroom," replied Max.

Millie made her way towards the room at the back of the hall, with Max closely in pursuit. She swung open the door.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry!" She shut the door and turned to Max, who had also seen the tangle of arms and legs that was their son's two Godparents.

"Well, they're a fine example to our son!" said Max with a laugh.

"What chance does the poor kid have, considering that and the circumstances of his conception?" added Millie smiling. She paused and tapped on the door. "Sorry, but Sister Marquita is here to lock up, so we have to leave."

She and Max started to walk away.

"Millie, wait," said Max grabbing her hand. "I just want to say, I'm sorry. I'm a complete idiot and perhaps you won't forgive me, but what happened was something I'll regret forever."

"I hear you didn't sleep with this woman. Why not? Did I interrupt?"

"No, I'd told her how things stood before you got there. I told her I couldn't have sex with her because I love you."

"And do you?"

"What?"

"Love me?"

"Yes, with all my heart."

"But every time you feel insecure, you're likely to perform this test?"

"I swear, it will never happen again."

Millie sighed. "I wish I could believe you." She saw Annie and Tony emerge from the storeroom. "Look, maybe we should talk. Can I come to your house after this?"

"Sure."

"Just make sure you don't have any lovers there this time."


	11. Chapter 11

**Where to now?**

Max and Millie drove in silence to his place after the Baptism. It took an exhausted Thomas no time at all to fall asleep in the car, and his parents were showing signs of how hard the day had been on them as well. Max had loosened his tie and Millie's jacket bore a baby vomit stain in place of a broach. When they got to Max's, Millie gently transferred Thomas from the car seat to his cot, while Max opened and shut doors and blinds along the way to the nursery. He watched Millie and Thomas and was quietly jubilant that they were here again, in his house - something he had come to fear might never happen again. Millie placed her baby down, and looked around her with satisfaction. They had really made this a delightful room. She switched on the monitor and shut the door.

Max was out of his suit and into more casual clothes by the time Millie returned. He had grabbed some spare clothes of Millie's that she had left there in case of Thomas-related catastrophes, and handed them to her to change into. She went off to change while he put the kettle on. Max had her coffee sitting waiting for her on the coffee table when she returned. They sat down and looked at each other.

Millie sipped her coffee in silence. It was Max who spoke first.

"So, that was quite a day, huh?"

"It sure was," said Millie. "I hope my mother wasn't too horrible…"

"She certainly was a surprise! I don't think my mother knew what to make of her at all. And poor Leon…" Max tactfully didn't mention his moment with Mrs Brown, when she had straightened his tie. The way she had done it didn't quite seem right from a woman who was kind of your mother-in-law!

"Yeah, he'll never speak to me again! I wonder how she went with Roger. He's closer to her age of course. I could actually handle him as a step-dad."

"Nothing would replace your real dad though. I know how you miss him."

"Mum misses him too. She just won't admit it yet. But yes, I wish he had been there today."

"I'm sure he was, in spirit."

"Ah, yes, I wanted to mention; did I see the spiritual side of Max Carter today? Were you on your knees _praying_?"

"Well, you know what they say, Once a Catholic, always a Catholic. Anyway, I felt I had good reason to pray today."

"For Thomas?"

"Partly. But mainly for forgiveness. From you."

"Oh look Max, I…"

"You what Millie? Have I ruined everything?"

Millie bent to place her cup on the table, and when she looked up Max could see there were tears in her eyes.

"Why Max?" Her tears started to choke her. "Why is it that every time I trust you, you do something unforgivable?"

"Millie, I was wrong, but doesn't it mean something that I couldn't go through with it because of you? I love you…"

"Do you? Or is it just that I'm the mother of your child and loving me's an obligation? Is it some sort of Catholic Mary mother-worship thing?"

"You're being ridiculous now. I know how I feel!"

"Well tell me then, what's so good about me? You weren't drawn to me when you knew me only for my personality! Even after we slept together, you didn't try to see me again! It's only since I had your child you've claimed to be interested, and then all it took was for you to bump into someone who 'puts out" and I'm forgotten!"

Max started to get defensive. "Let's get this straight, you were never _forgotten. _You can't accuse me of that! I may have had a stupid idea about testing how strong my feelings were, but I didn't forget you! Even when Sonia was climbing on top of me rearing to go, I still had the image of you in my head, and that's why I pushed her away."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? You've painted quite a picture there! Young, slim, gorgeous, well-rested, childless slut who's available for a quick fuck whenever the father of my child sees her at the supermarket! Well, thanks for that!"

"Ah, now, there's a point. You can describe me as 'father of your child', but complain that I just see you as 'mother of my child'. Just what exactly do I mean to you, Millie? It seems to me that I'm the one making all the overtures towards turning our relationship into something! Sure, you're pleasant and occasionally you'll let me kiss you, or if I'm lucky, get in a bit of a grope, but other than that it's all whenever things suit you. How would you have reacted if I'd dropped in unannounced on you like you did to me that day Sonia was there? You would have felt you had every right to be angry, and possibly cancel anything I had planned with Thomas. And you know what, I would have accepted it! Because I care about your feelings and appreciate all you've done for our son. But fuck it Millie, you can't hold me not answering your calls when you got pregnant over me forever!"

Millie was absolutely shocked by this emotional outburst from Max, and just sat there with her hand over her mouth, staring at him.

Max continued, "This whole last week, as if I weren't beating myself up over it enough, I've had to live with my mother and sisters either hounding me or ignoring me, making it clear they're on your side – my own family! – and that if anything happens, such as you taking Thomas, or refusing yourself to see me, it's all my own fault! And then of course I'm living with the fear of never seeing my son again if you decide not to let me. And then there's the fear of losing what we've been building on between us over the last couple of months, which by the way means a lot to me. But if these things did happen, no one would have any sympathy for me, because it's all my own fault! And in the meantime, I'm working all week dealing with the horrible things people do to children my son's age, but I can't let that get to me either! I just have to be strong and put up with everything, because I'm the one who's made the mistakes."

Max stopped for a breath here, looked for a moment at Millie, then got up and walked through the door that led into his back garden. Millie could see him through the glass of the door, pacing, rubbing his face with his hands and trying to calm himself down. She didn't know what she should do. She felt what he had done was wrong, but she could see he was genuinely regretting it. And she could see that she had been expecting a lot of him without considering how he felt about things. In many ways, she realised she had been holding his misdeeds over him, and making him suffer for them again and again. Unfortunately, apparently they were both insecure. So why, she reasoned, should her insecurities mean more than his?

She decided to go outside and try to comfort him. She walked out the door, and he looked up to see her coming towards him. She held out her arms and slipped them around him, and held him tight. Max hesitated for a moment, then responded by holding her just as forcefully. He had been close to tears throughout his speech to Millie, but at that moment he almost let the dams burst to sob into Millie's hair. But that wasn't the type of thing he did, so he held his tears in and just thanked God that at least they were taking this step towards reconciliation.

Millie released her grip slightly and pulled her head back to look at Max. He looked back at her and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I am so exhausted." Millie said.

"Me too," said Max. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep all week. Did you want to try and fit in a nap while Thomas is asleep?"

"I wouldn't mind one. How about you?"

Max wasn't sure what she was saying. " Are you asking me to join you?"

"Well, if you're tired too."

"I'd be in on that. But let me get this straight, are you saying you want to nap with me in my bed?"

"I didn't say that, but yes that would be nice. I would like to be held."

"OK then, come on. I promise I won't try anything."

Millie knew he meant this, and a part of her was disappointed, but she really was sleepy and knew as soon as her head hit the pillow, she'd be fast asleep.

They tip toed into Max's room, which was a door down from Thomas's nursery and pulled back the quilt. They snuggled under it together, Millie lying with her head on Max's chest while he lay on his back with his arm around her. They both closed their eyes and felt a deep sense of the rightness of the moment. In no time at all Millie was asleep, and after gazing down at her serene expression a while as she slept, Max closed his eyes and was soon sleeping peacefully too.

Thomas slept more than his usual 2 hours, so Max and Millie did too. They were awoken to the sound of his crying and the subsequent leaking of Millie's breasts, which was a whole new and unexpected experience for Max. It was well after 7pm when Thomas was fed, so Max and Millie decided they would have dinner together too.

"I should ring Annie and let her know where I am," said Millie.

"You know, you and Thomas can always stay here tonight if you like. You've seen I can be trusted as a bed-mate," said Max.

This put Millie in a quandary. It was getting late and it would be an inconvenience for Max to drive them home, seeing as he was working the next day and Annie had her car. And it had been lovely sleeping in Max's arms just now. But should everything be forgiven and forgotten so quickly? She felt Max was sincere in his contrition, and he had obviously suffered for what he had done. But forgiveness was a whole different thing from spending the night with him.

"I'll just ring Annie and see what she's doing. Do you mind if I take it in your room?"

"Go ahead," said Max, who was happily playing with Thomas.

Millie lay on Max's bed and made the call.

"Millie?"

"So, how's my tramp of a sister? Snogging in a church, honestly!"

"It was a church hall thank you very much. And I'm sure that cupboard has provided relief for generations of frustrated Catholics!"

"So, are you seeing Tony again?"

"How do you know I'm not with him now!"

"Are you?"

"Well, yes we are having dinner together. He's just gone to the bathroom."

"Well at least he's feeding you. I can't believe I chose you to be my son's moral guide!"

"That's fine coming from you, Little Miss One Night Stand! Anyway, are you home yet?"

"No, I'm still out."

"Hmm, you mean you're at Max's don't you? Did you sleep with him?"

"Quite literally in fact. We napped in each other's arms, no sex."

"Yeah, that's only one step away from sex. Don't you go getting pregnant again!"

"Relax, the doctor made me go on the pill to prevent me getting pregnant while breastfeeding."

"Sensible man. So what are your plans then?"

"Max has asked me to stay. I'm not sure what I should do."

"What do you want to do? I gather all is forgiven?"

"I'm not sure if I forgive him yet, but he was really upset and I could see his point of view. I am very tempted to take him up on his offer."

"Then do. Don't worry about me. I'm not sure what I'm doing, so I won't be at your place all lonely."

"He said he loves me Annie."

"Oh I know he does, it's obvious. But whoa!"

"He didn't actually say it like some pronouncement though, it was just 'I couldn't sleep with her coz I love you."

"Ah the emotional cripple's way of saying he loves you. Sneaky but probably sincere."

"So you say 'go for it'?"

"I do."

"And why do I listen to someone who snogs in a church cupboard?"

"Because she's not a mess of baby hormones. Tony's back, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Annie,"

"Ciao Sis."

Millie rejoined Max and Thomas in the loungeroom.

"So," said Max. "What's next on Thomas's schedule? Or are you going home?"

"If it's OK, I think we'll stay."

Max, who had been lying the floor with Thomas, stood up and gave Millie a hug.

"You know it's more than OK," he said happily.

"Well, I suppose we need to give Thomas a bath now, then a feed, then bed," said Millie.

"I've got that portable bath," said Max, "Shall we set it up in here where it's warm?"

"Good thinking."

"I'll get it and fill it with water," said Max.

Millie crouched on the floor and picked up her son. How lovely it was to have someone with her looking after Thomas. Especially his father. Especially Max.

They tested the water and put Thomas in his bath. Max made quacking noises and swan the rubber duck around the bath. Thomas giggled.

Max looked at Millie and asked, "So how was Annie?"

"Still with your mate apparently. I hope he's nice to her"

"Really, Tony's pretty harmless. I can't believe they made out in the store cupboard though."

"Annie said that lots of Catholics had probably used that cupboard over the years for that purpose. It's your parish church, have you?"

Max was slightly horrified, "No, never! I'd be too scared of my mum catching me!"

Millie laughed. "Well, Thomas, let's get you out of bath, dried, fed and into bed."

She pulled her baby out of the bath and dried and dressed him near the warmth of the fire. Then she carried him to his room and fed him. Max sat on the arm of the chair while she suckled their son and put his arm around her as he took in a scene he feared he may never witness again. Soon Thomas had drifted off to sleep in his mother's arms, and his parents carried him to bed and tucked him in snugly for the night. They stood together and gazed lovingly at him in his sleep, and then walked out of the nursery hand in hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Night at Max's**

Even though it wasn't quite 9 o'clock, Max and Millie started getting ready to go to bed almost straight after tucking Thomas in. In a weird way, they both thought they would be more comfortable with each other in that environment than sitting around having to make conversation, trying to work out how the other was feeling. They were both scared that perhaps words would only cause further damage, and as they had gone some way towards healing their rift, why push things too far with each other at this stage? Also, being in bed gave them the opportunity to hold each other, and after all the drama of the past week, that was something they both felt desperately like they needed to do.

Max found a pair of pyjamas for Millie to use. He didn't really wear them himself, so these were a pair he had packed away that his mother had given him for a birthday. They fitted an important criterion for Millie in that they buttoned up, so if Thomas got hungry during the night (he had just started to sleep through), it was easier for her to breastfeed. Though he generally slept naked, Max thought that wasn't appropriate in these circumstances, so he dressed himself in a tee shirt and shorts. He got into bed and waited for Millie to complete her evening ablutions.

Max thought that Millie looked especially sweet in his oversized blue-stripe pyjamas as she made her way towards the bed. She saw his look and made a face.

"I know, I've looked more stylish!" She said. "By the way, I grabbed a towel to bring to bed so I don't leak all over you again."

"Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise, I must say. Do you wake up drenched like that every time?"

"It's getting better now as he gets older, but at first, all I had to do was look at him and milk would squirt out! At least we know he's not going hungry."

"You see, you're made for motherhood," Max said and immediately wished he hadn't. He didn't want her to infer he thought that was all she was good for.

Millie hopped into bed and pulled the covers over herself. "I have to admit I do enjoy it. And I adore Thomas."

'Me too," said Max using this moment of agreement to put an arm behind Millie so she would settle in his arms.

Millie snuggled up against him. She wasn't sure what Max was thinking, but she was really hoping things might progress beyond just cuddling tonight. As Thomas got older, she was getting more sleep and had slightly more energy. And it had occurred to her that recently she was passed the anniversary of the last time she had sex, which was of course at Thomas's conception. She thought about these things as she rested her hand against the thin cotton of Max's tee shirt. She really wanted to slip her hand under the fabric and run it against his chest, but after her and Max's arguments earlier in the day, she didn't want to move things forward so soon.

She dwelled on the fact it had been over a year since she last had sex. She couldn't think of another year of her adult life in which this had happened. It distressed her. Then a question popped into her head. No, she mustn't ask him that. She knew she'd be setting herself up to be upset. But she just had to ask.

"Max," she said raising her head off his chest.

"Yes Millie," Max had been perfectly content until this moment. But something in her tone made him wary.

"Since we slept together, how many women have you had sex with?"

_Oh God, why does she ask these questions?_ Max thought. _Well, here goes nothing_, "Um, two I think." he replied.

"So would that be a good year or a bad year for you, sex-wise?"

"Well I have done better. What about you?" Even though Max was pretty sure of the answer, he could only attempt to steer the topic away from himself.

"You're the last person I slept with, and of course zero is the worst score you can get. So…these two women, were they one night stands?"

_She had to ask, didn't she? _

"One was," Max said quickly.

Millie wanted to kick herself for asking. Why did she do it? She knew the answer would upset her.

"And the other…"

_She's not going to like this._ "I saw her for about 6 months."

Millie hadn't seen that one coming. She tried to act like it didn't upset her. "I see. So she was a girlfriend. Why did you stop seeing her?"

Max could see this getting worse and worse, but what else could he do? After the Sonia business he wanted to be open with her, but this was becoming dangerous.

"She ended it. Millie, why do you want to know? I've forgotten it long ago."

"So you wanted to keep seeing her, but she dumped you?" Millie couldn't stop herself now.

"I was happy enough to go on with the things the way they were. But it wasn't enough for her. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to talk about it anymore. I don't think it's necessary."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I think I want to try and sleep now. Night Max." Millie turned her back on Max and curled herself up.

"Please don't be upset," said Max, rolling behind her and putting his arm across her.

Millie reached her hand around and placed it on his face. She knew she had brought this on herself, but she just couldn't deal with him at that moment. "I'm sorry Max, I know it's my own fault. I'm not upset, I just have to process it all now. Let's sleep now and talk later." She kissed his cheek.

"OK, Millie. Good night then." Max kissed her then rolled away from her. He was worrying about what he had revealed. The relationship with Suzannah hadn't really meant that much to him, but he had been willing to drift along in it, meeting up for the odd meal and then back to hers or his. He knew that in Millie's mind the fact that it had lasted more than a night would signify that Suzannah had meant something to him, more than Millie did when they conceived Thomas. But surely you approach relationships differently when you're not working with the person? She must see that!

He could hear Millie breathing evenly beside him and presumed she was asleep. He supposed he should try and sleep too, considering he had to work tomorrow. And it had been a tiring week. Max closed his eyes and soon drifted off.

After a few hours Millie opened her eyes and for a moment wondered where she was. She heard breathing beside her and turned around to see Max there, sleeping soundly. She could only just see him in the dim light, but she had to smile at his resemblance to Thomas. They were her two boys, and it occurred to her that she loved them both dearly. Poor Max. Why did she try to make him answer for a past that she wasn't involved in? She had had relationships that lasted longer than that, so why couldn't he? It didn't really affect them now.

Millie noticed that like Thomas, Max seemed to sleep with his bottom lip slightly pouted. She wondered if Max drooled in his sleep like Thomas did as well. Speaking of Thomas, Millie hadn't heard a peep from him and decided she may as well get up and check on him. She rolled out of bed, waking Max as she did it.

"Is everything OK?" Max woke with a start and wondered what was happening. Was something wrong with Thomas, or was Millie about to disappear into the night?

"I just want to check on Thomas. I'll be back soon," said Millie. "You go back to sleep."

She left the room and Max dozed again.

Thomas was still sleeping soundly on his back and looked so tranquil that Millie considered getting Max out of bed to share this image with her. But he had to work so she decided she shouldn't disturb him. While she was up she thought she may as well offload the unwanted milk that used to be Thomas's night time feed, so she crept along the hallway to the dark lounge room. Still endeavouring not to wake Max, Millie sat in the lamplight with her pump. Once she had expressed what she could, she made her way back to bed. She looked at the digital clock and saw that it was half past one. Still quite a few hours before Max had to go to work.

Max was half asleep when she returned and as she climbed under the covers he sleepily reached over and pulled her towards him, so they were lying in spoon position. She could hear his breathing in her ear and felt his breath on the back of her neck. Millie felt her earlier amorous notions returning. But, if she wasn't prepared to wake Max up to see his son, she felt she shouldn't wake him simply to satisfy her lust.

Then she started to rationalise that it wouldn't just be for her, Max might like it as well. To test things out, she snuggled back into him, so that her buttocks rubbed against his groin. Yes, that had the desired result. A hand moved up from her waist and onto her breast, while the breathing in her ear was replaced by a hungry mouth, devouring her neck and shoulder. She felt one hand unbuttoning her pyjamas top and the other slide into the front of her pyjama pants. Millie turned herself on to her back and the mouth made its way onto hers.

The hand found her maternity bra then stopped. The breast pad seemed to bring Max to the realisation of what he was actually doing.

"God, Millie, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, I must have been half asleep."

"What? No Max, don't stop! I, um, this is what I want. Not that I want to force you or anything."

"Are you kidding? But...are you sure you want to do this?"

Millie responded by removing Max's tee shirt by sliding both hands up his body. She craned her neck up to kiss him.

"Yes Max. Yes, I'm sure."

Max was still a bit hesitant, even though he had recommenced kissing her neck. "Didn't you mention something about stitches? I don't want to do you any damage."

Millie smiled. "After five and half months, everything should be healed. Don't worry!"

"I suppose we can see how things go..."

"That's right. Just think of it as an experiment."

"You know it's much more than that, well it is to me."

"And to me. Now come here."

Millie pulled Max down onto her, and words were no longer necessary.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Morning After**

At 6 the next morning Max stretched himself out and woke Millie in the process. They rolled in towards each other and kissed.

"Good morning," whispered Max.

"Good morning to you. I suppose it's time for you to get up for work now."

"I could spare you another twenty minutes," said Max, kissing her and working a hand up under her pyjama top.

"WAAAAAA!!!!!" screeched the baby monitor.

"All right, all right, they're all yours again now!" said Max as he took his hands off Millie, and held them up in the air as if he were dropping a weapon.

"He'll be hungry. Can I bring him in here to feed?"

"Of course. Why don't I get him and bring him to you? Do you need more pillows? Some water?"

"And I thought it was only women who turned into their mothers! Thanks, Maxie, that would be lovely."

"All offers will be revoked if you ever call me that again, or if you ever even consider turning into your mother! I'll be back in a moment."

Max returned in a couple of minutes with an excited looking Thomas happily kicking his fluffy blue feet.

Max set Millie and Thomas up with the pillows and went and got her some water. He had to leave for work soon, but he really wanted to hop back into bed and share in this happy family moment. This whole bringing baby into the marital – or at least parental – bed thing was a first for Max, and he was reflecting on how much he had missed not living with Millie and Thomas. But, he supposed, even live-in dads had to face leaving the family to get to work.

"I'll leave you to it and have a shower," he said, kissing both mother and son on their foreheads.

"OK," said Millie. "I'm not sure when Annie will be collecting us yet."

"Should I drop you on the way to work?" suggested Max.

"Finding Annie and Tony in the cupboard was bad enough. I really don't want to risk catching them in my bed!"

Max laughed as he left the room for his shower.

After his shower the family all made their way into the kitchen. Thomas played on his rug on the floor, while Millie made coffee.

"Can I make you breakfast or something?" she asked Max as he busily organised things. "An egg perhaps?"

"Wow! Sex, time with my son and breakfast! Having you around certainly has its perks! But if you could just make me a slice of toast thanks."

"I agree, this is nice, isn't it?" said Millie, putting the toast into the toaster. "I'm enjoying not having the sound of the people upstairs thumping overhead."

The phone rang. Max held his toast in his mouth while he grabbed it to answer.

"Hello," he said through the toast.

"Maxie, it's just me. Thought I'd ring you before work to see how you got on with Millie."

"Fine thanks, but I'm in a hurry."

Thomas laughed loudly.

"Maxie! Is that Thomas? Is Millie still there? Oh my God, you slept together again! That's wonderful!"

"Who said we slept together?" Max noticed Millie's raised eyebrow.

"Well did you?"

"None of your business!"

"Ha, ha! You did! I'm so happy for you. I'll let you get back to it, give you time for a quickie before work."

"I'm hanging up now…"

"Bye Maxie."

"So that was Mag huh? Jumping to conclusions," said Millie.

"Yes, and annoyingly she jumped to the right one. Prepare yourself for a call later."

"If I gave a really graphic account, do you think she'd be scared off and not ask anymore?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've got to go now. Here are some keys to lock up after you. I'll call you later in the day." He kissed her cheek and hurried out the door.

As Max drove towards Sun Hill, the gossip mongers of the station were either spreading or listening to what happened at Thomas's Baptism the preceding day.

"So Max and Millie were together, but they're not any more," explained Stevie across a cup of coffee in the canteen to Jo, Terry and Mickey.

"I think we can guess whose fault that would be," replied Jo.

"There were quite a few awkward moments there, especially when poor Will decided he'd try to make a move on Millie. You've never seen Max get his way across a room so fast!"

At that moment, Nate and Leon walked in.

"Hey Leon," yelled Stevie. "Did you get lucky then?"

Leon made a face and went to collect a much needed cup of coffee from the counter.

"What's this?" Jo's curiosity was piqued.

"Millie's mother. She has an eye for young policemen apparently…"

"No! Go on!"

"She spent most of the day in pursuit of our Leon. All as the result of him using the 'Is this your sister?' line."

Terry shook his head, "Not even original, yet he still pulled! Some people have all the luck!"

The others laughed.

Leon and Nate came over to the table. Nate had a huge grin on his face.

"I hope you detectives can get more out of him than I have so far. Such a gentleman! Doesn't believe in kissing and telling!"

"I'm glad you're all finding this so funny. I would never have guessed our sweet Millie had a mum who was a cougar! Anyway, it's Roger you should be hounding now, because he's the one who took her home."

"Is he on today?"

"Afternoon shift I think."

"Spending the morning with Mrs Brown perhaps?" suggested Jo. "Yesterday's events have set us up for a whole day's entertainment," she added rubbing her hands together.

"Look, here's the proud father now!" said Stevie as Max entered the canteen.

"And here's the shameless gatecrasher," retorted Max.

"Yeah, why didn't anyone in CID get an invite?" asked Mickey.

"Maybe uniform were nicer to Millie than you lot are to me," said Max.

"Is this what you'd call playful banter, Max?" said Jo. "Seems someone's in a good mood today."

"Kissed and made up have you, mate," said Nate. "Good on you."

"Why weren't you and Millie speaking yesterday? Did you forget her birthday or something?" asked Stevie.

"No, Millie and I are fine," said Max who nevertheless was perturbed to realise he had no idea when Millie's birthday was. Better get Mag onto that one!

"So let me get this straight, you and she are actually a couple then?" This was as sociable as Max ever got, so Jo decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Max considered what to say carefully.

"We are seeing each other," he replied. "And now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Max walked out of the canteen and headed up to his desk.

When he got to CID it was virtually empty, due to everyone being in the canteen or in a briefing, so he thought he'd ring Millie to see how things were going.

"Hello."

"Hey, it's me. What's happening?"

"We're still here. Haven't heard from Annie yet. How are you?"

"Good. We're the subject of gossip in the canteen. Jo asked me if we were a couple."

"And what did you say?" Millie was interested in how he would answer this.

"I said we were seeing each other."

_Good answer _thought Millie. "So is that how you see us?" she asked.

Max moved his hand over the mouthpiece hoping to make the conversation more private. "I guess so. I guess I see us as having a kind of commitment too."

"What do you mean by that exactly?"

Max gulped. He didn't like having to express these things, but he realised someone had to, and he had to be brave. "I mean we are exclusive to each other, and that we are working towards making our relationship something more permanent."

"I see." Millie was surprised.

"Why, isn't that what you think?"

"Actually I think you've summed it up pretty well. I'd just never thought of it in such clear terms before. But yes, I agree."

"For instance," Max was going all out while he was in a daring mood, "I think we should consider you and Thomas moving in with me. Not immediately, but after we've given things a little more time."

"That's certainly something to consider and discuss." A part of Millie would have liked to have moved in immediately, but her less reckless side always prevailed.

"Can I come by tonight after work, and we can talk more then?"

"I would love that."

"Millie, you know I do love you, don't you?"

"Likewise Max. I love you too."

"I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Max hung up and looked in his drawer at a photo he had in there of Millie and Thomas. He thought about their conversation just now. Was he doing the right thing? How did he really feel about Millie, and would this change once the wonder of Thomas had faded? He remember what his sister had said about relationships being a risk. For all her faults, Mag was very wise. All anyone could ever do was try. And Millie was the only person so far who had ever made him feel it would be worth the effort.


	14. Chapter 14

**A Year Later**

Millie wandered into the dining room to find Max and his family involved in a lively discussion. 18 month old Thomas was in sitting his chair with something she had put on the Banned Foods list on the tray in front of him. Millie removed the offending item and held up a banana, waited for a lisping "thanks Mummy" and then handed it to him. Mrs Carter watched her latest attempt to indulge her grandson thwarted by his overly strict mother. But she didn't say anything. She took silent satisfaction in her conviction that Millie would learn soon enough, the hard way, that the old ways were always best.

Millie sat down beside Max, who put an arm around her shoulder.

"Mill, just listen to what my mother wants to do to our son."

"What do you mean 'wants to do to'? All I said was that it would be lovely to get him to wear that little sailor suit you had when you were a boy, you know Millie, the one he's wearing in that photo."

Millie knew the photo. She and Max exchanged amused glances. "I can't really see Thomas in that sort of outfit, Mum. Fashions have changed since then." Millie was thinking that sailor suits weren't in fashion for boys when Max was a baby in the 70s either, but she had to bite her tongue on that one.

"But he would look so adorable!" insisted Max's mother.

"Remember Mum, he's not a doll to dress up for our own amusement. He's a little person. How could he play comfortably in an outfit like that? He might tear it, or get it dirty." Max sat quietly, happy to have Millie laying down the law on this one.

"Ah but Millie, you know what Max is like," butted in Mag with a gleam in her eye. "Imagine how insufferable he'd be if he'd never had the humiliation of being photographed in that suit!"

The women all laughed.

"I don't know why I bother even showing up to these lunches," said Max reproachfully. "All you ever do is humiliate me in front of my partner and child."

"Ah you see, if you were a married man you would get more respect," said his mother significantly.

Millie could feel a lecture coming on. She looked over at her son.

"Well, Thomas is a real mess now. I'd better take him out and clean him up."

She took Thomas from the chair and put him on the floor, and he toddled along beside her and out the door.

"So how's Millie coping with work and everything?" asked Johanna.

"Well, I think," replied Max. "She's happy that Thomas is in safe hands with Mum, and he enjoys his days at childcare too. Millie was very worried about leaving him at first. And of course she copes a lot better now she's not breastfeeding. Expressing was a real nuisance then."

"Poor girl, I know she didn't want to stop. Still she did really well going for nearly 17 months," said Mag admiringly.

"Thomas biting her was the final straw I think. She took that as a real rejection."

"I can think of a way you can make her stop feeling rejected," interjected Mrs Carter.

Max sighed. "Would that be, a/ by marrying her, or b/ by having a second child, Ma?"

"This time, the wedding before the child. You don't want to have two bas… two born the wrong side of the blanket."

"Ma, Thomas is being raised in a loving home by two loving parents. What difference would marriage make?"

"None, in anyone's eyes but the Lord's, of course. But why not do it? Don't you love each other? It's absolutely no skin off your nose!"

Max threw a hand into the air. "If you'll excuse me, I'm off to find my bastard son and his strumpet of a mother."

Max's mother gasped in horror but his sisters laughed.

As he walked off in search of Millie, Max worked over yet again the issues his mother had raised in his head. Why shouldn't they get married? It wasn't something he and Millie had really discussed. The only time the topic was raised was by his mother, and he and Millie just laughed it off whenever she mentioned it. Max had no idea what Millie thought about that type of commitment. He knew that she didn't want him to turn into his father, or, heaven forbid, herself to become like either of their mothers, but that was as far as his knowledge of her thoughts on the matter went.

He walked into the front sitting room to find Millie and Thomas playing happily in there. Thomas walked towards him saying 'Da Da' when he entered the room. Max scooped his son up in his arms and went to join Millie on the couch.

"I just called you a strumpet and Thomas the 'b word' to my mother."

"And to think I missed this! How did she react?" laughed Millie.

"She was upset, of course. She likes raising this whole second child thing a lot at the moment."

"Well, I can see why. Thomas isn't a baby any more. I must admit I kind of miss having a baby myself," said Millie.

"Are you saying, we should start…working towards a second child?"

"Maybe. How do you feel about that?"

"Gee, it's a big step, but luckily I enjoy the whole baby creation process a hell of a lot."

"Me too," said Millie, as Max pulled her forward with his free arm and kissed her.

Millie continued, "And of course at your age, it's not like we've got forever to produce that family of four we've always wanted."

Max feigned indignation. "At my age! I'm only 36. You're the one with the reproductive use by date!"

"Many, many years into the future yet, thank you very much."

Thomas struggled his way out of his father's arms and over to some toys, so Max took this opportunity to throw Millie backwards on to the couch.

"I don't know, I think we'd better get onto this straight away."

"Max, you'll warp Thomas!"

"He's not even looking. Anyway, there's not a male in this world who wouldn't benefit from instruction in the Max Carter Style of Seduction."

"I thought the Max Carter Style of Seduction was only meant for me. I'm going to be a busy woman if all males have to learn it. But if warping Thomas doesn't get you off me, might I point out that your mother could walk in at any moment."

Max loosened his grip on Millie and they both sat up again.

Millie grinned at him. "The mother threat works every time! And by the way I notice you didn't even flinch at my family of four line."

Max's face turned serious. "Speaking of my mother, she was asking yet again when we are getting married. I was thinking, well, should we?"

Millie was stunned by the question. "Max, I never expected this. Um, I don't know. I mean we're committed to each other, aren't we, so in that sense why not? But I must confess I've never had a hankering to appear in front of a large group of people in a frilly white dress. What do you want to do?"

"I guess I feel roughly the same about it as you, especially about not wanting to appear in a white dress" Millie laughed at his little joke. She was pleased he wasn't being too solemn about the whole thing. "But seriously, I think why not? It would make everyone very happy – including us I hope – and it would be nice for Thomas and babies 2,3 and 4."

"And there's the added bonus of me getting jewellery," added Millie. "Have I made it clear I'm not a fan of diamonds?"

"Yes I think you have mentioned that once or twice. I'm pleased to see how swept up you are in the romance of this moment."

"You know me, Mercenary Millie! All I care about is jewellery, and I'll do anything for it."

'I think you still owe me then for the emerald earrings I gave you at Christmas. I will be exacting payment when we get home."

Max leaned forward and kissed her, just as Mag walked through the door.

"Taking Mum's comment about another child seriously I see then, Brother?" she said. "Mum wants to know if you're coming back for coffee and cake now."

"Yes, we're on our way," Millie watched as Thomas toddled after his aunty.

"Shall we?" Max asked.

"Yes OK." Millie and he stood up.

"Do we mention about the marriage thing?"

"What about it?"

"That we'll do it?"

"Is that what we agreed?"

"Well do you want to?"

"Yes Max, I guess I do. But let's not hurry or make it into anything too extravagant."

"I agree. I love you."

"I love you too."

"So are we telling them?"

"Nah, I say we let your mother suffer a little longer."

"It's nice to have a future wife who agrees with you on all the important things."

"Come on then, future husband."

Millie took his hand and they walked out to face the family together.


End file.
